Phablet

OPPO has announced a new technology at MWC Shanghai: MeshTalk. It is described as a way to talk or text without the need for a cellular, Bluetooth or online connection. MeshTalk apparently works when 2 compatible devices are within a maximum of 1.86 miles of each other.

The Android version of the 3DMark benchmarking suite is regarded as one of the best for non-iOS mobile devices. Its latest update has improved its compatibility with the ARM Mali-G72 and Mali-G76 chipsets. Then again, this fix may in fact downsize certain scores achieved with these GPUs.

According to Canalys mobile VP Nicole Peng, 5G smartphones will see a rapid adoption in China thanks to the strong government roadmap and the financial capabilities of the local operators. Global 5G phone shipments are expected to hit 800 million units in 2023 — more than 51 percent of the entire market, reveals the research firm.

A device called the Xiaomi Mi CC 9e has appeared on the Geekbench 4 website. Its results in these tests depict it as a 6GB phone powered by the Snapdragon 660 SoC. The Mi CC 9e also apparently runs Android Pie, but that is all that can be gleaned from this leak.

Samsung's first phablet without a notch and/or cutout — thanks to the sliding camera assembly — is finally going on sale both online and offline in select markets across the globe about three months since its debut. The Galaxy A80 is priced at more than US$730 and comes in Angel Gold, Ghost White, and Phantom Black.

Google may be working on a new way to send files between devices without necessarily relying on the internet. This new feature, called Fast Share, may be intended to compete with Apple's AirDrop. Unlike Android Beam, it involves the instigation of Bluetooth connections.

HTC has reportedly taken the next steps on its Android update roadmap for its older devices. A Twitter user located in Taiwan has posted the upgrade notification for version 9.0 (Pie) on their U12+. However, this has yet to be followed by reports of the same in other areas.

Xiaomi has announced that it has a build of Android Q for the Pocophone F1. However, it is still not ready for public release. Therefore, it has issued a call for testers who will install and run this OS on their device.

Google has reached out to SwiftKey users, informing them that the app’s normal ability to predict text while typing based on Gmail data will be suspended soon. This measure is to come into effect starting from July 15, 2019. Then again, this may not be necessary should the SwiftKey developers comply with Google’s latest privacy policies.

Mobile payments are now thought of as a market capable of vast growth over the next 3 years. The latest figures put its worth at US$348 billion now; however, this is thought to grow to $1.3 trillion in 2022. It is projected to grow at this rate in the developed and developing world, and is thought to benefit from the presence of mobile network operators.

The carrier T-Mobile has released the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G for sale today (June 28, 2019). This coincides with its inaugural 5G service debut. However, it currently only covers 6 cities in the US, and not much of any of them at that.

An XDA developer has gained access to new features in Google's Messages app for Android phones. It is called "Effects", and adds a small number of cartoonish, 3D edits to a new photo or video to be added to a message. Therefore, it appears that Google is attempting to step up to Instagram's level as far as SMS, MMS or RCS customization goes.

A new Samsung device with the model number SM-A107F has surfaced in a number of new leaks recently. Now, the same has shown up on the Wi-Fi Alliance's website as a device cleared to use this technology. Therefore, this phone - which is thought to be an improved version of the Galaxy A10 - may be released soon.

Honor's UK division has released a statement reassuring users that its "most popular current devices" will be upgraded to Android Q. This pledge applies to the Honor 20 series (including its Lite and Pro versions). The brand also confirmed rumors that it will release a 5G phone by the end of 2019.

Google offers the option to store a timeline of places in which a user's location-enabled phone has been. The account-holder in question can also disable this ability and delete this information if they choose. The latest update to the app involved adds buttons that automates this procedure after 3 or 18 months.

Qualcomm has partnered with ZTE at MWC Shanghai to expound on 5G and what it means for the future of mobile gaming. To that end, it has demonstrated cloud gaming - which is powered by Tencent Instant Play in China - on phones with Snapdragon X50 modems. They are sold by ZTE itself, OnePlus, Vivo and Xiaomi.

Renders of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G have surfaced online indicating a design similar to the Galaxy Note 10 Pro. The Note 10 5G could have slightly higher battery than the regular Note 10 Pro and might also launch later depending on the availability of 5G networks across the world.

Qualcomm has announced that its latest flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 855, is the first CPU for mobile devices to attain the Smart Card Equivalent Security Certification. This means the processor can handle applications normally confined to the realm of dedicated security chips. It does this through its integrated Secure Processing Unit.

Only a few days after Huawei unveiled the 7 nm HiSilicon Kirin 810 mobile processor, the upcoming Nova 5 handset surfaced on AnTuTu with this new piece of silicon inside. Its score of no less than 237,437 places it well in front of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730, which usually tops around 210,000.

The Xiaomi Mi Max 4, as well as a possible Pro variant for this phone, had been rumored for release. However, Lei Jun, the OEM's chief executive officer (CEO) has contradicted this on Weibo. It now seems that any devices of this line, in addition to the Mi Notes, have been axed, for 2019 at least.

According to a new report, Samsung will release the Galaxy S10+ in its Prism Silver color option to the Indian market soon. Furthermore, the Galaxy M30s will also become available for sale in this country. This new phone is a new, improved version of the existing M30.

We’ve known for a number of years that Microsoft has been experimenting with dual-screen devices. The first was the Courier concept, then there was the Andromeda project (aka Surface Phone) which is said was put on hold. Those dreams, however, look like they might coming fruition in the form of a foldable Surface device that can also incorporates a cellular connection.

In a rumor that could be a deal killer for potential Galaxy Note 10 customers, it looks like Samsung will be removing a key feature from at least one of the two purported variants. If the source is correct, the smaller of the two purported Galaxy Note 10 models will forgo microSD card support leaving that feature for the larger Note 10 Pro only.

A popular tech blog claims to have gotten the word from Motorola that its latest major release, the Moto Z4, may only get 1 full Android version update during its life cycle. Therefore, the new phone will see Q, but could miss out on R. On the other hand, the OEM also pledges to support the device with 2 years' worth of security updates.

The Indian Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEIT) is reportedly setting up a Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR). It is to be composed of the IMEIs of all mobile devices in the country. This initiative has been planned in order to help prevent the theft of these items in the country.

Huawei has refuted reports that the volume of its orders for new smartphone units from the manufacturer Foxconn have been downsized. This allegation is linked to the OEM's recent ban from working with US companies. On that note, it has also been claimed that one of these businesses, FedEx, refused to complete a shipment because it contained Huawei hardware.

Although 45 W fast charging is expected to make its debut with the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Pro, the upcoming Galaxy A90 might become the first Samsung handset to feature this technology. For now, Samsung is stuck at 25 W when it comes to fast charging and some reports claim that the Note 10 lineup will not move forward.

It seems possible that Samsung will resurrect the Galaxy R brand-name to include what many believed was going to be the Samsung Galaxy A90. According to a well-known industry leaker, the Samsung model SM-A90X will likely be part of a new Galaxy R series that would feature premium midrange smartphones.

Although the next-gen Galaxy Note phablet is expected to be revealed in early August, Mobile Fun has just done it again and unveiled a bunch of Olixar cases for this upcoming device. These products reveal that Note 10 will also have a Pro version and both feature a middle-mounted selfie shooter and Sound on Display.

Samsung has just allegedly trademarked a product called "Make & Play 3D", which apparently involves a time-of-flight (TOF) module that brings depth-sensing to devices such as smartphones. This suggests that upcoming releases from this OEM may have such a next-gen module. The Galaxy Note 10 may be as good a candidate as any for this upgrade.

LG intends to release its new mid-range smartphones, the W series, as Amazon exclusives in India. However, one variant of this series, the W10, has allegedly surfaced on the Android Enterprise database. It shows that the phone may have 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and run Android 9.0 (Pie).

There has been plenty of contentious news about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 as of late, some of which may have taken some of the gloss off the phablet before it’s even released. However, a simple concept render of the Pro variant posted by Ice universe and based on recently leaked screen protectors has been met with almost universal approval.

Omnivision has announced the OV48B, this company's first 48MP image sensor. Like the Sony IMX 586, it has pixels of 0.8 microns in size that can bin the data it captures into a high-resolution 12MP image. The OV48B can also record at 4K, 1080p and 720p at several frame-rates.

A new certification for a phone called the Xiaomi M1904F3BC has allegedly been found on the TENAA website. It is depicted as having triple rear cameras in a straight line aligned with a corner of its black rear panel, a waterdrop notch and a possible under-display fingerprint sensor. Therefore, the phone strongly resembles the Mi 9.

Samsung has locked in August 7 to officially debut its much leaked, discussed and eagerly anticipated Galaxy Note 10. The sequel to the highly-regarded Galaxy Note 9 will launch almost exactly 12 months apart at the same New York venue, according to CNET.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) is one of several functions that were amalgamated under the Google Pay name in 2018. It has still been available in the UK market, however, and allows users to send payments to others using a balance stored in a relevant account. Unfortunately, Google has announced that it is suspending this ability in September 2019.

Xiaomi has announced that its software division will stop releasing global betas of its OS, MIUI, on July 1, 2019. This applies not merely to older and slower devices, but to all phones of its brand. However, the OEM has also stated that this decision will not affect the frequency of security-related updates.

The POCO Launcher, originally designed for the Pocophone F1, has gained popularity due to its advanced customization options. Now, its makers at Xiaomi have released a 2nd version, which can be downloaded and tried out now. It mainly improves on the app drawer and dark theme of this interface.

The Huawei Mate X has reportedly appeared as a retail item on a Chinese retail site. This is highly suspicious, however, particularly as the OEM has announced that this foldable phone's launch will now be delayed. In addition, the price included on the order page in question is out of line with previous projections.

An apparent screen protector for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10 has been leaked online, and if it is genuine then the rumors about the vaunted phablet having a bezel makeover are justified. The Galaxy Note 9 is a terrific device but it has a considerable chin to it, which seems to be something the Galaxy Note 10 won’t be emulating.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 phones are without a doubt the best flagships on the market right now. The three devices ship with top of the line hardware and Samsung's new One UI ensures that things are great on the software side, too. Pricing may have been the biggest issue with the devices but all three are now suddenly US$200 cheaper.

The US carrier AT&T has sent emails to customers who have pre-ordered the (still) upcoming Samsung Galaxy Fold informing them that these reservations have been cancelled. The company states that it will refund any advance charges made, or release any funds held, in conjunction with these transactions. Affected customers may also receive credits against a future bill.

South Korean telecommunications bodies have confirmed that the number of people who use 5G in the country has grown to over 1 million. This figure is based on the volume of relevant phone plans sold by the carriers that have deployed this new mobile data standard in the country. The government also plans to improve 5G infrastructure in the future.

Advertised as "the most advanced 12h playtime Bluetooth 5.0 earphone" created by UMIDIGI so far, the Qualcomm QCC3003-powered Ubeats provides up to 12 hours of autonomy on a single charge and will go on sale via AliExpress next Monday at just US$19.99. Ten lucky people can get the UMIDIGI Ubeats for free as part of a giveaway that will end in 18 days.

Google Maps is reportedly rolling out a new feature intended to benefit users taking taxis or ride-shares in unfamiliar locations. It starts to send alerts if the vehicle in question starts to deviate from a given route by 500 meters or more. This new setting has only been observed in the Indian market so far, however.

Chrome 75 is the latest version of this app for Android. It is the one to finally add a password generator to the browser. This update also offers a clearer path to its dark mode, may improve on in-app animations and allow users to send more things to other native apps.

OnePlus has announced a new update for OxygenOS (OOS, the OEM's Android skin) on its new flagship, the 7 Pro. It contains a long list of potential camera optimizations which, as the company claims, have been developed as a result of user feedback. This OOS 9.5.7 update may also enhance some non-camera aspects of the phone.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is without a doubt the talk of the town. A few days ago, we had our first look at the Note 10 and now, the more expensive, bigger Note 10 Pro has leaked in all its glory. It will be the biggest Samsung flagship the world has ever seen and packs hardware that more than justifies its "Pro" title.