Android

Huawei's latest Nova-series phones are veritable unicorns in the smartphone industry, having launched in China with a 4G/LTE-only version of the Snapdragon 778G. Now, some new leaks allege that they are coming to Europe, bringing this chipset with them. However, it already seems it is lacking in areas besides connectivity.

Motorola has just launched the Moto G Pure for the Canadian and US markets. Now, a device that looks like it might be a higher-end variant of the same phone has leaked via the FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance. They indicate that the device is 4G/LTE-only; however, images allegedly linked to the same phone show scope for a more premium display than that of the G Pure, at least.

A Lenovo representative has announced that the OEM will hold a major product event for later in 2021. A new tablet, the Xiaoxin Pad Pro 12.6, is confirmed as one of the stars of this show. However, there may be others, and they may be new PCs of the Yoga line.

Apparently, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will launch with a new design for Samsung. Reportedly, there will be no huge camera housing this time around, which a leaked photo has underlined.

Xiaomi continues to tease the Redmi Note 11 series before next week's announcement. Now, the company has confirmed that the series will arrive as the Redmi Note 11, Redmi Note 11 Pro and Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus. Memory configurations and colour options have been revealed, too.

Realme launched the Realme Pad last month in India as an affordable but capable tablet. Apparently, the Realme Pad is set to make the trip over to Europe and a new leak has now provided information on the tablet's pricing for that market.

According to reports, Sony's next smartphone will be the Xperia Alpha. Reputedly launching with Android 12, Sony is already hinting that the device will be a camera tour-de-force.

Xiaomi has now debuted the next generation of TVs in its Redmi Smart TV X series. The aptly named Redmi Smart TV X (2022) series launched in China yesterday with 4K 120 Hz displays and a compilation of solid hardware. Pricing, however, is a bit tough.

You can now install Android apps on Windows 11, but only if you can jump through all the hoops that Microsoft sets. Not only is app support restricted to the US, but also the Windows Insider Preview Programme's Beta Channel. Other limitations apply too that are even harsher than Windows 11's punitive system requirements.

OPPO, the world's fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer, is set to jump on the custom silicon bandwagon. According to Nikkei, OPPO will use TSMC's 3 nm process to develop custom SoCs for use in its 2023 or 2024 flagship.

OPPO has made the latest addition to its 2021 K9 series official today (October 20, 2021). This new variant has a FHD+ 120Hz display, driven by one of the year's most prominent mid-range 5G processors with "7-layer" cooling. It starts at under US$250 for a 6GB RAM variant.

Xiaomi has brought the Mi 10 Lite and POCO F2 Pro onto MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition, its latest OS update. Additionally, the Redmi Note 10 5G and POCO M3 Pro 5G have received MIUI 12.5 globally, with MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition evading them for the time being.

iQOO has made its latest smartphone official today. This more affordable counterpart to the existing Z5 will stand out in its segment thanks to its processor and its rear camera system. The Dimensity 900 is not found on many other devices to date, not even in China; furthermore, the Z5x has only 2 rear cameras, although its main-sensor specs might yet cater to most user demands in 2021.

Samsung has formally unveiled One UI 4 today. The OEM has indicated that this new interface is intended for use across all devices a given user might have from its brand, from its accessories to its mobile devices or PCs. Accordingly, it contains the latest versions of features such as SmartThings Find and Quick Share.

Samsung held what it called the "Galaxy Unpacked 2" livestream today (October 20, 2021). It served to make the new Bespoke Editions of the Galaxy Z Flip3 official. The Galaxy Watch4 and Buds2 also now have SKUs based on a collaboration with a new designer.

Xiaomi has now confirmed a launch date for the Redmi Note 11 series and its next-gen budget smartwatch, the Redmi Watch 2. The company has those devices penned down for an October 28 launch in China, with an international release expected to follow later.

A new leak has revealed details of both the Snapdragon 898 and MediaTek's upcoming Dimensity 2000. Both chips are similar with a few notable differences, but those differences hint at the MediaTek chipset having a performance edge over Qualcomm's offering.

The Google Tensor SoC enables the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to leverage several advanced AI and ML capabilities to enhance various aspects of smartphone usage such as photos, videos, transcription, and translation. The Tensor SoC accelerates these AI-driven features while ensuring privacy and also being economical on the battery.

According to Google, the goal with Tensor was not to chase benchmarks but to focus on more real-world applications. Google indicated during the Pixel 6 launch event that Tensor uses two Cortex-X1 cores and a 20-core GPU among other on-die components. Google Tensor also sports an 8 MB system cache and 4 MB CPU L3 cache.

A new leak has now revealed detailed measurements of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S22 series. While the two more expensive phones are nothing special, the vanilla Galaxy S22 looks set to be yet another compact flagship phone from Samsung, in a similar vein to the Galaxy S10e.

Google has announced the "most advanced smartphone camera" as part of its new Pixel 6 series. It introduces the latest modes and features developed for this historically competent line, Magic Eraser, Motion Mode, Real Tone and Face Unblur included. However, one or two are reserved for the higher-end Pro model.

Apple has switched its main lineup to OLEDs but it appears the iPhone SE 3 will retain its LCD roots. It's tipped to be the only device with both an LCD and a flagship SoC when it's released, with the same leak providing some important details of the iPhone SE 2 successor.

Google has started rolling out Android 12 to existing Pixel smartphones. Every Pixel smartphone from the Pixel 3 series onwards is eligible for Google's latest OS update, including the new Pixel 5a (5G). Android 12 is available as an OTA or through Google's Android Flash Tool.

Google has now made the Pixel 6 official. The Google Pixel 6 is a cut-down version of the Pixel 6 Pro, but offers a good amount of flagship features and AI processing power thanks to the company's new custom-built Tensor SoC. The Pixel 6 starts from US$599 and will be available widely from October 28.

Google has opened pre-orders for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. People will receive a pair of Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 if they order before October 27. Currently, the headphones run to US$379, just US$220 less than the basic Pixel 6.

Google has unveiled the Pixel 6 Pro, the company's most advanced smartphone to date. The handset has a 120 Hz display, a 5,003 mAh battery, Google Tensor and up to 12 GB of RAM. The Pixel 6 Pro has received notable camera upgrades compared to previous Pixel smartphones.

A few screenshots showing Android apps running on a preview build of Windows 11 have surfaced on Chinese social media. The screenshots indicate that Microsoft will offer Android support via an optional install from the Microsoft Store. Supported Android apps on Windows will be able to offer multi-window multitasking, notification center integration, taskbar pinning, and more.

Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro hands-on photos are already circulating online. The pair will be available to order later this week in multiple markets, including the EU, UK and the US.

Realme has launched its latest smartphones, the GT Neo2T and Q3s, in China today (October 19, 2021) as teased earlier. However, they are accompanied by a slightly less expected product: the Watch T1. It is a round-faced smartwatch with eerily familiar specs, albeit with new and exclusive bands.

Redmi is projected to launch the Note 11 series of mid-range smartphones soon. It has been said to consist of vanilla and Pro variants, with up to 67W fast charging. However, prominent Chinese leakers now assert there is a third option that will ship with support for the fastest power brick available to its Xiaomi-owned brand.

Oukitel has launched its latest Android phone as WP17. The OEM defines it as its first phone with "esthetic design", which translates to a device with 'rugged' features, albeit one that looks more like a "normal" phone compared to most in this category. Nevertheless, it still has "work-" and "outdoor" functions, most notably a rear camera with night vision.

The Google Pixel 6 Pro with its custom Tensor SoC has made additional appearances on Geekbench over the last few days. The average scores for both the single-core test and multi-core benchmark indicate that the Pixel 6 Pro could end up being a premium price-performance champion that is ready to rival the Samsung Galaxy S21 phones.

In our review, the Yoga Tab 11 knows to please with its design and practical kickstand. However, in several areas, the Lenovo tablet is not at eye level with the competitors. During our testing, we were particularly surprised by the system performance needing some improvement.

Xiaomi has brought another security patch update to the Mi A3, its last-supported Android One smartphone. V12.0.15.0.RFQMIXM is rolling out now to handsets on MIUI's global branch.

An unboxing video of the Pixel 6 has surfaced online. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will debut on October 19, albeit with no chargers in their boxes.

New Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra renders have leaked, showcasing a simpler design. Expected to launch early next year, the Galaxy S22 Ultra looks like a cross between the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the LG Velvet.

A new set of leaks have now revealed pricing of the upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro for both the US and UK markets. The leaked prices indicate that the phones will be cheaper than expected, with the Pixel 6 supposedly starting at an incredible US$599.

The World Intellectual Property Office has published a year-old patent submitted by Xiaomi. Seemingly, the design is of a flagship smartphone, with highly rounded corners, a curved display and large camera sensors. The Xiaomi 12 series is believed to be launching later this year.

iQOO has already launched the Z5; now, a new phone with a very similar name is coming. The brand has confirmed this device will launch in late 2021. It is destined for a MediaTek processor rather than the Qualcomm platform of the Z5; however, the upcoming variant will still have 5G.

The Honor 50 is a premium mid-range smartphone said to launch in Europe soon. Now, its maker is rumored to be preparing a 50 Lite to go along with it. It is said to have the exact same specs and looks as a device from Honor's former parent company Huawei - however, one version might have some crucial advantages over the other.

A new ad for the Google Pixel 6 in Australia has now provided the first official pricing detail of Google's upcoming flagship series. The phones will debut on October 19 and it looks increasingly likely that the vanilla Pixel 6 will undercut Apple's US$799 iPhone 13.

Xiaomi has sent out the MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition update to a number of its more expensive phone. The company is now setting its sights towards the mid-range segment, starting with the Redmi 9T—with its Global version now getting a MIUI 12.5 Enhanced update that also delivers Android 11.

The Galaxy S22 series is on its way. When exactly it will launch remains a question but a new leak provides some information on the memory and storage options of the phones, and power users are unlikely to be thrilled.

OPPO has confirmed a launch for a new device for later in October 2021. It is quite like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra-inspired K9 Pro in its looks, although it is slated to have the premium mid-tier Snapdragon 778G platform rather than the MediaTek flagship of the Pro. However, the K9s is said to retain its high display refresh rate, although other compromises might have been made for a more affordable price.

The Galaxy S22 Plus has leaked again, this time courtesy of @xleaks7 and Pigtou. The pair have published images of a dummy unit, supposedly based on CAD renders that they obtained. The Galaxy S22 Plus is expected to launch early next year alongside the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Motorola is slated to have the next round of its Moto G-series smartphones in the works. These rumors started with the G31; now, signs of what might be its higher-end siblings have emerged. The FCC may have approved one already, while Geekbench purports to have tested another.

Sony's Chinese division is reportedly in talks with Meizu to port features of the latter's Android skin, Flyme OS, to mobile devices from the former in that country. This may sound strange as Sony already develops its own apps for its phones; however, it may perceive the region-specific change as a better way to appeal to that market.

Lifestyle and in-hand images of both the Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro have been leaked ahead of launch. Numerous lifestyle shots show users with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in different environments, such as in the rain. Two leaked promo videos have also highlighted some of the main features, like the Tensor chip and Magic Eraser tool.