Software

Xiaomi has finally confirmed the Mi A3's specs in the course of this new Android One device's launch. As this event took place in Spain, this is also the first market in which it is being sold at present. The phone starts at €250 (about US$281).

The latest study from the cellular-data research body Opensignal reports that Verizon has the most widespread 4G services in the US (at 94.8% coverage). However, T-Mobile was associated with the best upload and download experiences on the same network. This new report also claims that all carriers included are improving in terms of these mobile download speeds.

Samsung is now thought to have a successor for the Galaxy Watch Active in the works. The latest leaks on the subject claims that one variant of this putative wearable will be produced in collaboration with the sportswear company Under Armour. It may come with an exclusive band and 6 months' worth of free MapMyRun access.

Huawei and Honor have announced the roll-out of EMUI 9.1 (or Magic UI 2.1) for various phones released in or around 2018. This new OS version is probably best known for GPU Turbo 3.0, which optimizes performance when various compatible game apps are opened. The update also adds a new file-system to Magic UI devices.

Sony has launched the Alpha 7R IV (or a7R IV), its latest 35-millimeter full-frame camera. It is the first such product to feature the new, back-illuminated, Exmor R CMOS sensor with a 61.0MP resolution. The a7R IV is also capable of professional-grade 4K video, an APS-C mode and USB 3.1 Gen 2 transfer speeds via a type C port.

Google has decided to focus its efforts on the AdSense mobile web interface and discontinue the mobile apps. Those using AdSense on mobile devices were probably expecting this, since the Android app has not been updated since December 2017 and the iOS AdSense app received its latest refresh on November 2017.

The V1921A is a new device from Vivo that has triple cameras and an in-display fingerprint scanner. It has been certified by TENAA, and has now also appeared on the benchmarking site Geekbench. Its results show that it is powered by the Snapdragon 710 SoC, runs Android 9.0 and has an 8GB RAM SKU.

A SamMobile source claims to have spotted a working unit of the Samsung Galaxy Fold in the hands of someone on the New Delhi metro recently. It is likely that this device has the updated design it needs to secure a re-do of its planned April 2019 launch.

The G6 is LG's flagship smartphone for 2017. Despite this, it is yet to be officially updated to the latest version of Android. A Redditor claims to have found a beta for this very upgrade - albeit for just 1 region-specific variant of the phone.

Smart glasses are useful in many contexts, most of them enterprise-related. However, it is also possible to replicate the smartphone experience to some degree using some of these devices, Vuzix-brand ones included. This company claims that a new development will bring peer-to-peer video calling to its Blade devices.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 phones have received a number of updates, with most improving on the few flaws the devices had at launch. The June OTA appears to be doing the opposite, however, as a number of users have reported a new focusing bug after installing the update.

The Asus Zenfone 6 was released a few months ago and is widely considered to be one of the best value flagships on the market right now, competing against the Mi 9 and OnePlus 7. Asus appears to have gotten the gist of the matter, as the Zenfone 6 is seeing some really good community development support right now, with major pros for the device including a Google Camera port, LineageOS 16 ROM, and a custom kernel.

Square Enix has released Dragon Quest Builders 2 for the PlayStation 4. This title builds on its predecessor with a unique setting within the relevant universe, and all the new crafting and battle opportunities that come with it. The game has a recommended price of US$59.99, or $79.99 for a Digital Deluxe version.

Huawei is now linked to multiple different possible names for its well-publicized in-house OS, which may replace Android on its phones in the near future. A new possible leak has turned up another new such term for this system: Harmony. It has allegedly been trademarked in the EU for this purpose.

Counterpoint Research's latest study of the 5G market in the US has found that sales of mobile devices that can use these new bands have been detected in more than 10 cities. However, some of the areas in question still do not have an actual next-gen service. This phenomenon has been attributed to consumer interest in future-proofing.

The Belgian news outlet VRT NWS claims to have gained access to audio recordings made as a result of Google Assistant 'listening' to user speech or activity. The recordings were leaked to VRT by a Google subcontractor. This apparent evidence suggests that the search giant allows these workers access to information that would have remained private were it not for the presence of the Assistant.

Huawei has released the schedule for its Developer Conference, which will take place in Dongguan, China, on August 9, 2019. The second talk in this event will concern EMUI 10, which is based on Android Q. It will be conducted by Wang Chenglu, Huawei's President of Consumer Business Software.

Xiaomi has released a new, official version of MIUI (10.3.5.0) for the Pocophone F1. This is normally great news, and would be in this case were it not for a sub-group of users who report problems such as screen freezing and ghost touch on their updated devices. The OEM has requested that affected owners send them their units for testing in relation to the issue.

Vivo has launched a phone called the S1 for the Indian market. Unlike the existing device of the same name for the Chinese region, it is a new product powered by the MediaTek Helio P65 SoC, runs Android 9.0 and has triple rear cameras.

The latest update for the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ locked its users out, requiring them to enter a PIN and restarting repeatedly no matter what they entered. Unfortunately, it looks like performing a Factory data reset is the only solution available for those affected by this issue.

Age of Wonders III arrived at the end of March 2014 for Microsoft Windows, but it became available for OS X and Linux as well one year later. Now, those interested can grab the original release for free via Steam until July 15 — and keep it forever after that, of course. Sadly, there are no expansions included and the free game will not generate any Steam trading cards.

Originally scheduled to arrive in 2018, Psychonauts 2 was expected to arrive later this year. This title for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 looks like its predecessor with improved graphics and a few new ideas. Sadly, its launch has been pushed to 2020 and we can only hope that it will not get another delay next year.

The new Oxford Circus flagship store in London is also Microsoft's first physical retail store in the UK. This venue covers no less than 22,000 square feet over three floors and brings together Surface devices, HoloLens, the Xbox Gaming Lounge, a Selfie Area, and more. The staff can provide assistance in no less than 45 languages.

New certifications pertaining to a device called the OPPO CPH1931 have allegedly been found online. This device as described is a phone with a 6.1-inch screen and a 5000mAh battery. Its most interesting attribute so far may be references to the recently-released CPU, the SM6125, or Snapdragon 665.

After more than six years since its initial release, World of Warplanes has just been updated to version 2.1. This new build comes with a Europe tech tree that replaces the previously available France tab, quite a few new premium and special reward planes, new equipment, as well as various tweaks and fixes.

A new leak indicates that LG has successfully attained trademarks for names that sound like flagship phones to be released after 2020. There is no G11 or G12, however: instead, they appear to fall in line with the Vx0 phablet line. Therefore, the G10's successor may be called the G20, and so on.

Qualcomm and Ericsson has announced that their technology has passed an important milestone in the roll-out of 5G across a country the size of the US on the same band. This 600-megahertz (MHz) frequency, one of the lowest to be associated with the new data standard, is also in use at T-Mobile to establish its own next-gen network.

Various leaks have indicated that Xiaomi's Mi Ax series will be updated soon. Some leaks have also suggested that this year's iteration will be a rebrand of the OEM's new quasi-premium, youth-oriented Mi CC9e. However, the freshest twist in this tale indicates that there will be 2 Mi A3 variants, which will rock the Snapdragons 730 and 675 respectively.

The latest market analysis indicates that the volume of eSIM-enabled device shipments reached 384 million last year. The resulting projections suggest that this figure will grow to about 2 billion over the next 6 years. Smartphones will account for the vast majority of the units in question.

The Nest Hello device is a smart doorbell with an inbuilt camera. A leak concerning a software update for this product has found that it may gain the ability to detect when a package has been delivered. This code may also allow for a follow-up feature in which it can tell when the same has been picked up again.

Mobvoi has unveiled a new, LTE-enabled version of the Ticwatch Pro. This wearable has most of the specs of its original variant, including its innovative battery-saving dual display. On the other hand, the LTE model is enhanced with Corning Gorilla Glass and double the RAM.

Those who own the Mi TV 4A can now apply for a kind of Android Pie beta-test. Xiaomi is working on what it calls an 'early-access build' for this 32- or 43-inch device, and is currently inviting users to install and test it. The 4A's new OS adds support for the Play Store and Google Assistant (albeit in a slightly roundabout way).

The ability to use Spotify on your phone may be restricted in terms of the storage it can take up. The new Lite version of this Android app, however, takes up about a tenth of the space compared to the regular download. It also has a meter for the cellular data used while streaming music.

If the two-year-old StarCraft: Remastered was not enough to draw the attention of the hardcore fans of Blizzard's iconic title that was released at the end of March 1998, the Cartooned mod might make them finally pay attention to it. The US$9.99 mod comes with all-new, cartoon-style graphics and is fully compatible with online play.

Android Q is nearly upon us, bringing with it a slew of changes and refinements. Beta 5 has started rolling out too, but it seemingly confirms that gesture navigation controls will not work with third-party launchers. The slow-march to a closed-source Android seems upon us.

GPU as a Service involves offering access to the functions of an advanced, dedicated or powerful GPU set-up from a remote location. It is increasingly prominent in cloud and AI applications. The latest market research indicates that its market will grow based on its use in CAD, modelling and 3D animation.

A Samsung phone with an unfamiliar model number has appeared on the Geekbench testing database. It is described as having 4GB of RAM and being powered by the Exynos 9610 SoC - as is the Galaxy A50, which was released some time ago. Therefore, this phone may be getting a new variant, albeit one nearly entirely the same as the old.

An industrial consultant firm, Grail Insights, has released the results of a survey-based study on public attitudes towards 'big tech' companies, their effects on consumer privacy and the role national authorities should adopt in the matter. They show that 62% of respondents believe that the government needs to step in when these corporations gain "too much power".

In addition to the usual system optimizations and general bug fixes, the OxygenOS 9.5.9 OTA update for the OnePlus 7 Pro comes with new enhancements for the camera: improved back-to-front switching, faster autofocus, advanced Panorama mode photo-stitching, as well as better quality of 48 MP JPG images in Pro mode.

Qualcomm has introduced the latest iteration of its 2-series for entry-level mobile devices. The 215 is the first of this line to support dual image signalling processors (ISPs) and 64-bit processing. It would also introduce HD+ resolution to the phones in which it will be integrated.

The latest stable Debian release is codenamed "buster" and comes at the end of a 25-month development period. Debian 10 will be supported for the next five years and comes with many updated packages, support for ten architectures — including older 32-bit PCs, as well as a wide range of desktop environments: Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, and Xfce.

A tech blogger has posted a new video citing rumors that Microsoft is working on hardware for its xCloud platform. This console would apparently work with existing Xbox controllers, but also act as a competitor for Google's own starter pack for Stadia. As this putative box could cost as little as US$60, it would also undercut the "Founder's Edition".

Samsung's SmartThings app has been found to contain diagrams of heretofore-unreleased pairs of headphones and wireless earbuds. The latter have AKG branding, whereas the former have these 3 letters as part of their model number. It is now thought that they may be products that could be unveiled at the next Galaxy Unpacked event.

A United States Senator has obtained a response to a letter sent to Amazon HQ concerning user privacy as it relates to the retail giant's Alexa platform. It advised the public representative that, although a given user can delete their own voice data from their accounts at will, the voice assistant's responses to queries are recorded and retained by Amazon for its own purposes.

Android Q may be just around the corner, but HTC has finally started rolling out Android Pie to the HTC U11+. Previously slated for a Q2 2019 release, the Taiwanese company has now begun pushing out Android Pie via an OTA to handsets in its home country. Better late than never, right?

Fully compatible with a wide range of graphics adapters, the AMD Radeon Adrenalin Edition 19.7.1 driver comes with a new image sharpening feature (on AMD Radeon RX 5700 hardware in DirectX 9, DirectX 12, and Vulkan titles) and anti-lag for DirectX 9 and DirectX 11 games, which improves input-to-display response time by up to 31 percent.

SwiftKey users will soon be able to create their own virtual character that matches their head movements and facial expressions. This AR emoji feature is similar to Apple's Animoji and currently comes with five characters: Dinosaur, Panda, Cat, Owl, and Dog. For now, it is only available in SwiftKey Beta.

Although its relationship with the US has improved a lot and last month's troubles seem to be gone, Huawei is working hard on its own operating system. HongMeng OS will replace Android on a wide range of devices and some of its components — LiveFace, Meetime, LinkTime, and Belink — have just been trademarked.

Facial recognition is projected to continue to grow as an industry into the next decade. Its market is estimated at being worth US$3.2 billion now. However, this value is projected to grow to $7 billion by 2024.

Mobvoi has released a YouTube video offering hints of its next product release. It appears to be a new smartwatch, most likely of the Ticwatch line. The OEM claims that it can "boost your daily efficiency" and has an improved heart rate monitor.