Software

Redmi has just announced a launch date for a phone called the Note 9S in Malaysia. Now, a new entry on the Geekbench 5 website for this device returns the same specs as the Note 9 Pro. This suggests the 2 products are one and the same.

With COVID-19 forcing millions of employees to work from home, network software company DH2i just made its DxOdyssey “unVPN” free for stay-at-home workers until August 31st.

The chances of the Mi A1 receiving Android 10 look increasingly slim, with Xiaomi issuing a new underwhelming update for its first Android One smartphone. Expect to see Xiaomi and Google abandon the Mi A1 altogether by the end of the year.

Owners of the Mi A3 have been waiting for the release of an Android 10 build that fixes the bugs Xiaomi's OTA last month calamitously introduced. A new update has now been released for the phone, but it appears to be rather disappointing.

Khronos Group recently announced the official launch of Vulkan’s ray-tracing extensions. The platforms ray-tracing features will largely deliver parity with Microsoft’s existing DXR 1.1 standard, with the exception of some nifty performance options.

PlayGalaxy Link is a feature of some Samsung Galaxy flagships by which PC gaming can be done on these devices via a streaming connection. Or was, rather: the OEM has announced that it will wrap this resource up by March 27, 2020.

Mi A2 Lite owners have had a bad time of things lately. With the device's Android 10 update causing bootloops on some units, Xiaomi has now urged people to bring their affected handsets in for repair. The company is hoping to release a new Android 10 OTA later this month, too.

Apple has announced that only developers from specific credible entities can publish apps pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic on the App Store. This is being done to curb the spread of misinformation and provide users access to reliable sources. Eligible developers can also chose to get their app approved faster than the conventional App Store approval process.

Samsung's Android 10-based One UI 2.0 rollout continues; this time with its mid-range phones, the Galaxy A40 and A80. Both phones are now receiving the One UI 2.0 update with all the typical features like system-wide dark mode and new navigation gestures.

With 900 million devices running Windows 10 back in late September 2019, it was quite obvious that Microsoft would reach the next milestone this year. Yesterday, the Redmond giant announced that "over one billion people have chosen Windows 10 across 200 countries resulting in more than one billion active Windows 10 devices."

LG's 2020 OLED TV line-up includes 8K models for the first time. These panels feature the CTA's 8K Ultra HD certification and an 88-inch option. However, their series also starts at a whopping US$19,999.

Since its launch in 2004, Call of Duty has amassed numerous new variants and widespread success worldwide. Now, new research shows that this line of games is ranked second in terms of console units sold as of January 2020. Black Ops 3 is mostly responsible for this achievement.

While the Redmi Note 8 Pro has already received Android 10, it seems that Xiaomi is putting the OS upgrade on hold for the Redmi Note 8 until at least next month. Released to handsets today, the latest MIUI 11 update remains on Android 9.0 Pie and only brings a handful of changes.

Released earlier today, War Thunder 1.97 "Viking Fury" is the game's first major update of the year and comes with a full Swedish ground forces tech tree, over 20 new ships, ground vehicles, helos and aircraft for other nations, two new locations, as well as multiple bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements.

The CineBeam projectors support 4K UHD content and LG's ThinQ AI. Now, they also support Amazon Alexa thanks to a new software update. This applies to the HU70LA and HU85LA variants of this series.

Realme 6 handsets are receiving an OTA update that adds a Night Mode and 120 fps slow motion video recording to the phone's 16 MP front camera. The update also brings the March 5 Android security patch and the Soloop video editing app.

The Nokia 7.2 was originally promised to get the Android 10 update in Q1 2020. We're at the end of Q1, however, and that plan appears to have been scrapped with official confirmation that the phone will receive the update in Q2 instead.

Xiaomi's Android 10 rollout slowly continues. After sending out the Android 10-based MIUI 11 update to the Mi 8, Mi 8 SE, and Mi 8 Lite, the Chinese company is now providing the stable global update to the Mi 8 Pro.

Rejoice, PlayStation 4 owners, a new jailbreak solution is coming your way. Popular developer @theflow0 has announced the discovery of a new vulnerability on firmware 6.20 of Sony's outgoing console, with a kernel exploit and jailbreak solution now on the cards.

Microsoft has announced that those with Samsung Galaxy S20-series devices can also now use their Windows 10 PCs for rich communication services- (RCS) enabled messaging. This feature is apparently available in the latest Insider's Preview Build and to the public in general. The same Preview includes further new Your Phone features.

Motorola is currently thought to have a smartphone called the Edge planned for release this year. It has been rumored to rock a waterfall-type display. XDA contributors claim to have live images that show this is in fact the case.

Samsung has launched the Galaxy A11 to little fanfare. This triple-camera device matches well with its recent leaks, having a 6.4-inch HD+ LCD display with a punch-hole for its 8MP selfie camera. It will succeed a phone that started at under US$200 in 2019.

The PassMark site has recently introduced version 10 of its PerformanceTest benchmark, with the result being that Intel processors now utterly dominate the single-thread performance chart. The Intel Core i9-9900KS tops the list with a result of 3,039, while the highest AMD chip is down in 35th position with the Ryzen 3 4300U on 2,673.

OnePlus often releases Open Beta versions of its Android skin, OxygenOS. They are often updated compared to the "normal" (stable) builds in terms of features, security patches and other new tweaks. The OEM has started just such a program for its latest flagships, the 7T and 7T Pro.

Released in June 2017, the OnePlus 5 and 5T have already received two OS upgrades. However, the company committed to upgrading both devices to Android 10, which would be their third OS upgrade. Now, it seems that the final update for the OnePlus 5 and 5T will be arriving towards the end of Q2 2020.

Also sold as the Mi 8 Youth or the Mi 8X, the Mi 8 Lite has only received one OS upgrade so far. While there are already custom ROMs that can bring Android 10 to the device, Xiaomi has now posted an official Android 10 update for the device.

Phones that run neither Android nor iOS have been falling behind in terms of their browser and web-based support. Mozilla and KaiOS (the mobile platform most likely to run on such devices) have addressed this through a new partnership by which the former will keep devices running the latter much more up to date in their ability to use the internet.

Samsung has come in for plenty of criticism about its software update policies. With the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 unlikely to ever receive Android 10, it has now emerged that the company may be bringing One UI 2.1 to devices as far back as the Galaxy S9 and Note 9. While not strictly a third OS upgrade, it would be a volte-face for Samsung.

Both Samsung and the rumor mill seem to be working hard these days on populating the 2019 Galaxy A series with new generations. The latest of these is reportedly the A21. According to new Geekbench listings, it will be powered by a MediaTek SoC and 3GB of RAM.

There will be no Android 10 for the Redmi Note 7 Pro this quarter, with Xiaomi issuing another Android 9.0 Pie-based update for the device. Likely remaining in beta for at least another month, Android 10 would be the first OS upgrade for the Redmi Note 7 Pro since its release over a year ago.

Xiaomi is having a torrid time with Android One updates lately. The company has now pulled the second Android One OS upgrade in as many weeks, with the Mi A2 Lite the latest handset to receive a bug-ridden Android 10 build. The news should come as no surprise to Mi A2 Lite owners, as the initial update has reportedly bricked multiple handsets. We would advise against rolling back to Android 9.0 Pie, too.

Mozilla's GitHub now offers a version of Firefox for Android that is updated compared to the app available on the Google Play Store. Its most interesting attribute is an ability to add extensions to this mobile browser for the first time. There is only 1 add-on available at present, but the developer is confident there will be more soon.

Some code allegedly derived from an as-yet unreleased version of iOS also reportedly offers insight into watchOS 7, software that may debut with the next Apple Watch. It hints at additions such as sleep tracking and a new mode for its Infograph watch-face. On that note, new custom faces may be possible in this version.

The GSMA has announced that OnePlus has been awarded one of the 25th annual Global Mobile Awards in the Best Smartphone category. It has been conferred on the OEM's most recent flagship, the 7T Pro. It combines a 90Hz QHD+ display with a pop-up selfie camera and the Snapdragon 855+ processor.

Released yesterday, Firefox 74.0 can block Facebook from tracking its users and no longer allows third-party apps to install add-ons, but it also features DNS-over-HTTPS provided by Cloudflare (with NextDNS as an option). This update is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux/Unix users.

Xiaomi may have moved onto rolling out a buggy upgrade to the Mi A2 Lite, but it has not forgotten about the Mi A3 just yet. While V11.0.7.1.QGQMIXM is yet to receive a public rollout, Xiaomi has offered a comforting salve for Mi A3 owners. Apparently, a new Android 10 public build is only a few weeks out.

Vecnos, a spin-off from Ricoh, has announced that it will release its first product soon. It will be a 360-degree camera that may compete with similar devices from GoPro or Insta360. However, this one may come in a much more portable form-factor.

A Spanish-language vlogger claims to have access to video showing a working unit of the upcoming Pixel 4a. This leak alleges that the phone has a 5.81-inch FHD+ display with a distinctly standard refresh rate. Its SoC, internal memory and main camera specs are also supposedly detailed here.

Samsung launched the Galaxy M40 in June 2019. Now, it is reportedly receiving a major software upgrade in its first market (India), bringing Android 10 and all of its main features to the mid-ranger. This OTA also contains an up-to-date security patch level.

Huawei has announced that the P40 and P40 Pro will be unveiled online on March 26, 2020. According to some recent leaks, they may be joined by at least 1 more premium variant. Meanwhile, a new tip suggests the Pro's main camera will be a 52MP Sony sensor.

The Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro are oddities. Essentially rip-offs of the P30 Pro, the Mi Note 10 series are neither flagships nor mid-range handsets. Xiaomi's software support for the two devices reinforces that they are more the latter than the former though, and the latest round of updates do nothing to dissuade that impression.

The Honor V30 and V30 Pro are set to be joined on Magic UI 3.0 by ten other Honor smartphones, the company has confirmed. Honor's version of EMUI 10 and Android 10 will hit three devices this week too.

The Android 10-based MIUI 11 update for the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 smartphone/phablet has apparently started rolling out to users in China. It’s expected a rollout for owners of the 6.9-inch device will soon follow in other parts of the globe. The Mi Max 3 was released in 2018 and features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC and a dual-camera setup. The large handset originally came with MIUI 9.5 (based on Android 8.1).

After months of delays, Xiaomi finally sent out the Android 10 update to its Android One Mi A2 Lite smartphone. As has become typical of Xiaomi's Android One updates, however, the build appears to be a poisoned chalice and is bricking devices.

Motorola is slated to launch a true flagship phone, the Edge+, this year. It is thought to have a waterfall display with a punch-hole selfie camera thus far. Now, a new leak alleges that it will have a triple rear camera that incorporates a 108MP sensor.

The Optoma UHD50X is a new projector rated for images of a 4K UHD resolution and a refresh rate of up to 240 hertz (Hz). It also has a brightness of 3400 ANSI lumens and is HDR10- and HLG-compatible. This new projector also has a "gaming" mode with an input lag of as little as 16 milliseconds (ms).

HTC has released an outline of its latest earnings. This performance pertains to February 2020, and shows that the company's revenues are down nearly 33% year-on-year (YoY). Similarly, the OEM's total revenues have decreased by ~45% compared to the first 2 months of 2019.

This might have passed under the radar of many people, but the fact that the volunteer computing part of the 21-year-old SETI@home project will go into hibernation is quite big news, especially since this amazing effort did not manage to deliver any solid result. However, SETI@home might be reactivated one day.

After months of delays, Xiaomi is finally releasing the Android 10 update to owners of the Mi A2 Lite. The Android 10 rollout for the Mi A3 has been a proper shambles, however, so the company appears to be taking some precautions this time around.

Realme has announced that it will launch its 5G-enabled flagship phone, the X50 Pro, in China on March 12, 2020. The OEM has also had the device approved for sale in this market by TENAA. The resulting leak reveals the possibility of a storage SKU that is not currently available in other markets.