Android

RedMagic has sent out a survey to gauge the interest of its fans in its hardware, its growing line of PC gaming hardware as well as its flagship Android smartphones included. The Nubia subsidiary may have let a clue as to a new addition to the former slip in the process: a first-gen TV. It may or may not be joined by new peripherals from the brand.

A poster from what is likely Samsung Colombia's official website confirms Galaxy Unpacked will happen on February 1. The event is expected to take place in San Francisco and will primarily be centred around the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Realme has officially revealed that the GT Neo 5 will be its first ever Android smartphone to launch with market-ready 240 watt (W) charging. The unprecedented spec is achieved with a heavily optimized arsenal of cutting-edge battery, charger and power brick technology touted to focus on stability and safety as well as lightning-fast power delivery.

Google has started rolling out a new version of Android Auto, originally codenamed Coolwalk. Announced last year at Google I/O 2022, the update brings several new features to the company's car entertainment interface, as well as a UI overhaul.

Skyworth's bendable OLED TV is on display during CES 2023, alongside other TVs with tech such as mini-LED backlighting. The OEM is also demonstrating its own in-house OS as an alternative to the Google TV of its upcoming outdoor screen at the major Las Vegas conference.

Qualcomm has announced that satellite-based connectivity is coming to Android smartphones, starting with those powered by its latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. The OEM has partnered with Iridium to deliver the first-gen system, and intends for it to be available worldwide and, eventually, to devices besides smartphones.

Samsung hypes its latest addition to the Galaxy F series of Android smartphones as "F for Fast" (amid other things beginning with F). However, it is hard to see how it will live up to this hype with its well-worn ultra-budget specs. Then again, it now starts for under US$100 in India.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is expected to launch in a few months as Xiaomi's main, and most ambitious, mainstream smartphone for the year. According to a new leak, however, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will retain the same 50 MP sensor used on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.

Lenovo has announced the Smart Paper, just over a month after releasing the YOGA Paper in China. Equipped with a 10.3-inch E-Ink display, the Lenovo Smart Paper also runs Android, has 4 GB of RAM and has a large enough battery to last for up 170 hours of note-taking.

Lenovo has presented the Tab Extreme during its CES 2023 showcase, although the tablet will not be available until the summer in Europe. To be offered as an alternative to the iPad Pro 12.9 and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, the Lenovo Tab Extreme has a 14.5-inch and 120 Hz OLED display, plus a flagship chipset and a 12,300 mAh battery.

Motorola has teased the ThinkPhone ahead of the device's official introduction. Launching as the ThinkPhone by Motorola, the device will contain several nods to the ThinkPad family and should be available with powerful hardware like the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset.

The Pixel 7a is expected to debut later in the year. Months ahead of that, however, the mid-range phone has now made its first live appearance in the wild, following in the footsteps of recent Google devices.

Samsung has revealed the Galaxy A14 5G smartphone as part of its CES 2023 event activities. The budget phone packs a lot of punch for its price, which has been revealed as US$199 for the US market and €229 for some European markets, such as Spain. The Samsung Galaxy A14 sports a Dimensity 700 or Exynos 1330 SoC, depending on the region.

OnePlus has debuted its second-gen Buds Pro today (January 4, 2023) as TWS earbuds that step up to spatial audio and Dynaudio co-branding for the first time. They also have active noise cancellation (ANC) touted as significantly improved compared to that of their predecessors, not to mention Bluetooth 5.3 and up to 39 hours of battery life. However, it is possible that one might need to pair them with a new 11 flagship smartphone to get the best out of the new TWS earbuds.

OnePlus has made the 11 official in China, with an international debut on the way in early 2023. Its potential global fans can expect an "elegant" flagship Android smartphone with an OIS-enhanced 50MP main rear camera and a 6.7-inch OLED display with updated LTPO technology. It starts at under US$600 for a 12GB LPDDR5X RAM base model.

OnePlus still has until tomorrow (January 4, 2022) to unleash the 11 as its first top-end Android smartphone of the year. However, it has chosen to reveal its triple rear camera set-up in advance of this event. The brand asserts that each shooter is of "flagship" quality - however, a certain on-trend, cutting-edge attribute many fans may have wished to see has officially been left out.

MediaTek has introduced a new addition to the Genio family of internet of things- (IoT) specific platform at CES 2023. The 700 is an octa-core chip rated to support FHD and 4K displays - both at the same time if necessary, in fact. It is also compatible with some of the most advanced interfaces typically available to IoT, and is touted to handle industrial-grade conditions with ease.

Signs of the Lenovo Legion Y700 8-inch Android gaming tablet receiving a global launch soon have grown stronger. Recent clues indicated that the Legion Y700 might escape its domestic borders of China and now there are more hints that a worldwide release for the potential Apple iPad Mini 6 rival is on the cards.

OnePlus is projected to launch an Android smartphone called the 11R that may have the same new premium design as the flagship 11, albeit with different specs. According to a well-known leaker, they may include the same main rear camera as the premium mid-range OPPO Reno9 Pro Plus. This might confer optical image stabilization (OIS) and phase-detect auto-focus (PDAF) on the device.

Xiaomi's main sub-brand Redmi has kicked the new year off with sales of the 12C in China. Its main features are far from anything new, although they come in an eye-catching new chassis in four potentially appealing colors. It starts at around US$100, albeit for lackluster specs, the best of which are a large battery, a 3.5mm jack and a 50MP main rear camera, and the worst of which one would not think would even have a place in 2023.

Ulefone describes its next upcoming IP68/IP69K/MIL-STD-810H-rated Android smartphone as a "5G mobile photography flagship", thanks to its 108MP main camera in addition to a 120Hz FHD+ display and a large 9,600mAh battery. It will also be a brand-first "instant thermometer" smartphone on its early 2023 release.

OnePlus has spilled some more specs and features for its upcoming Android flagship smartphone ahead of its launch. They include haptics apparently upgraded with the latest technology to rival those of other premium mobile devices, as well as new software-based frame-rate enhancements. They have been officially confirmed in advance, as well as a charging update for the imminent 11.

OPPO has reportedly succeeded in its aim to develop its own application processor for mobile devices. Therefore, the company may be ready to release smartphones with this first-party chipset in the next few years. The breakthrough would put the Android OEM on par with a handful of others such as Google with its Tensor silicon.

OnePlus launched an Android smartphone called the Ace in China that also debuted globally as the 10R in 2022. Now, the brand is expected to produce a second generation in the new year. More alleged clues as to its design and specs have now emerged, suggesting that it may have much more of a flagship look that its predecessor in 2023.

Recent reports claim Samsung may be gearing up to launch the Galaxy S22 FE after all. Those same sources, however, seem to indicate that the S22 FE will be the last Fan Edition phone, with the South Korean company reportedly having no plans to launch a Galaxy S23 FE in the future.

The OnePlus 11 be OnePlus's first smartphone of the year, and will make its debut in China next week. Ahead of that event, however, it appears its spec sheet has now surfaced in the wild, revealing its most important details.

Announced and also released in January, last year's Moto G Power Android smartphone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 inside and runs Android 10 out of the box. This 6.6-inch handset is now available with discounts that go as far as 48% (4/64 GB Gray), while the cheapest variant is now the 3/32 GB one, priced at US$109.

iQOO has made its last new smartphone of the year official today (December 29, 2022). The Neo7 Racing Edition adds the high-end ISOCELL GN5 sensor to its series, as well as the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 (8+ Gen 1) processor. It drives a large 6.78-ich 120Hz E5 AMOLED display in this device, which charges in as little as eight minutes thanks to its OEM's 120-watt (W) charging standard.

Realme has announced that it will reveal the final instalment of its fast-charging saga in January 2023. The smartphone brand asserts that it will "leapfrog" its competition to a leading position in this field with this "breakthrough". The first device to be equipped with it is now also thought to launch with a powerful chipset and a new high-end main rear camera.

LG Innotek has announced a new smartphone camera micro-component that can enable 4x-9x optical zoom without loss of quality and one that will alleviate the need for massive camera bumps. The company is partnering with Qualcomm to develop software for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to take advantage of the module's zoom actuator that can move in 1 µm increments.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 FE may be on the way after all. Following reports of a cancellation earlier in the year, word on the grapevine now seems to indicate that the Galaxy S21 FE's successor is on the way, along with the bean-style Galaxy Buds2 Live.

Redmi's Note 12 series of Android smartphones has been updated with a new Speed Edition for its Pro variant today (December 27, 2022). It is touted as "light", yet "performance-focused", with a well-worn mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. Then again, it has some specs in common with the new higher-end K60.

The Xiaomi Redmi K60 and K60 Pro have just gone official as the first Android smartphones of their line to launch with 30W wireless charging. They have also been accompanied by the K60E for the first time, which shares some of their better attributes, such as 2K AMOLED displays and an OIS-enhanced main rear camera.

Motorola has announced that a number of its Android smartphones, its latest Edge 30 Ultra flagship included, are available at discounts of up to 50% during its ongoing end-of-2022 sale. The event also features deals on the high-end Edge 30 Fusion, the Moto G Stylus and the already affordable Moto G Power (2022).

While phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Xiaomi 12S Ultra, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are critically regarded as being the best camera smartphones on the market, thanks to their class-leading hardware and advanced computational photography, it appears public opinion without brand bias leans towards an entirely different smartphone: the Google Pixel 6A.

A hands-on photo of the OnePlus 11 in the wild has leaked on Chinese social media. The image shows the device sporting a flat panel like the OnePlus 10T and not a curved glass like the OnePlus 10 Pro. Meanwhile, OnePlus also released official renders of the OnePlus 11 in the run up to the smartphone's China launch on January 4 followed by a global launch on February 7.

Honor's latest tablet has debuted with an advanced 144Hz refresh rate for its "IMAX Enhanced" display. Nevertheless, the Pad V8 Pro manages a mid-range price thanks to its Dimensity 8100 processor. It has emerged alongside a new GT version of its 80-series smartphones, with a new rear panel to go with its higher-end specs.

The RedMagic 8 Pro series is now official as the most "evolved" form of its premium Android mobile line to date. The brand asserts that the 2 new smartphones go beyond their traditional e-sports heritage with a more streamlined, "futuristic" design and rear cameras that may be taken seriously for once. Then again, the 8 Pro Plus (or Pro+) goes back to its roots somewhat with SKUs that combine its OEM's fastest charging tech and an RGB-lit active fan to help keep its new top-end processor cool.

A new leak says the Galaxy S23 Ultra's display's peak brightness maxes out at 1,750 nits. This is remarkably lower than the 2,300 nits figure stated earlier and the same as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, it will supposedly perform better under direct sunlight.

A new rumour online suggests Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 FE and the Galaxy S22 FE will be powered by the Exynos 2300. The only evidence of the chip's existence so far is Bluetooth 5.3 certification.

iQOO has announced that it will provide 2022 with one of its last Android smartphone launch events of 2022. Then again, the device in question appears to be a refresh of the existing high-end Neo7. This version is slated to come with a switch to Qualcomm silicon – and, with it, an improved chance of getting onto the global market.

The Redmi K60 series will make its grand debut on December 27 in China. In typical fashion, however, Xiaomi has already confirmed a number of details of the phones, by way of its Weibo page, as well as sharing multiple images of the Redmi K60 Pro.

For the first time yet, an official-looking promotional teaser for the Galaxy S23 series has surfaced in the wild. The leaked image showcases the phones' designs, likely color options, and potential pre-order gifts.

Meizu has officially confirmed a launch window for its new, 20-series premium Android smartphone. It seems the flagship will not arrive alone, however – it will be joined by a new dedicated audio player. The OEM claims to have developed new in-house DAC technology for the upcoming M3 variant.

RedMagic asserts that its upcoming 8 Pro series will emerge as the most "evolved" form of its premium Android gaming smartphone line on December 26, 2022. To this end, the brand is hyping its upcoming flagships with a sneak peek at their second-gen under-display camera screens. They are touted to be joined by improved internal specs, main rear cameras and speakers.

The Dimensity 9200 has only been used on the Vivo X90 so far, and looks to be a home run, especially GPU-wise. The MediaTek chipset outperformed the Apple A16 Bionic in synthetic GPU benchmarks recently, and has now been put through a real-world gaming test.

The Moto G53 is Motorola's latest mid-range 5G smartphone for the Chinese market. Now, according to the latest leaks, it is going international soon, albeit with slightly different specs. They include a display and SoC replacement, although it will still have a 50MP main rear camera and Android 13 out of the box.

Sold as the "Ultimate Entertainment Bundle," the combo that brings together the Fire HD 10 tablet and Fire TV Stick 4K is only available with the 32 GB lockscreen ad-supported tablet in black. However, the 50% discount pushes the price down to a wallet-friendly value of just US$99.39.

Can the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ keep up with the fastest Snapdragon on the market? We answer this question and more in our review of the Asus ROG Phone 6D and 6D Ultimate. Here's a quick summary of what we found.