Phablet

The results of a new study conducted in 2022 can be used to conclude that smartphone use-frequency among adults based in the United States has increased by about 366% compared to that measured three years ago. The researchers report that 1 in 5 of their subjects wouldn't go without their phone for more than a few hours, while only 1 in 4 could withstand the temptation to bring their device into the bathroom with them.

The Xiaomi 12 Ultra is now said to be its OEM's first-gen flagship with Leica-branded rear cameras. Now, it is also now a top candidate for a cutting-edge liquid lens to the set-up in question. This second-gen component is now believed to have upgraded functions compared to the original found in the Mix Fold.

OPPO released its first foldable smartphone in 2021, and is now projected to add a second generation of the same device, as well as a first-gen clamshell alternative, in 2022. A famous leaker has now mentioned what might be a product name of the former for the first time, and also offers an update on the OEM's 'X' rollable prototype since its unveiling some time ago.

Carl Pei's Nothing has remained vague on the subject of a debut for its inaugural Android smartphone. However, a German tech blog now purports to fill the blanks the OEM has left with a specific date on which the device is to be unveiled. It is also now slated to start at a mid-range price - on the European market, at least.

The messaging app Telegram has been linked to a shift to a subscription-based model as of late. Now, the developer Alessandro Paluzzi claims to have spotted more signs that the service is preparing for this change. It consists of the re-wording of a reassuring page many users may recognize as part of the UI furniture.

Samsung's US website has updated with some possibly improved trade-in deals for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. A customer can get some Galaxy Watch4 SKUs free with the purchase of a new Galaxy Z Fold3, or up to US$1,000 off a Galaxy S22 Ultra with a trade-in - even if the device to be exchanged has a cracked screen.

Carl Pei's latest tech start-up Nothing has revealed a little more about its first full mobile device, the phone (1). It has hinted strongly that it, like images for a prototype it has just shared, will have a transparent nature. Then again, the final product has no guarantee of looking anything like the latest officially-leaked concepts, leaving the phone (1)'s appearance a mystery for now.

The AppGallery is Huawei's in-house version of something like Apple's App Store that the OEM has been obliged to establish after it lost access to the Google Play Store. A developer claims that it has exhibited a vulnerability that might let users circumvent the theoretical paywall in front of the premium version of apps on the market. However, Huawei allegedly did nothing about the situation for "weeks" after the report.

Some intriguing rumors of an accessory that would allow Huawei P50-series owners to circumvent the device's limitations to 4G/LTE-only connectivity have been somewhat vindicated through the launch of the first case along these lines. The new third-party product comes in just 1 color and finish, yet is indeed touted to come with the tech necessary to confer 5G on the Huawei flagships.

The second-gen Mix Fold flagship from Xiaomi has been tipped to outdo its predecessor in terms of design and pocketability. Now, according to a famous leaker, it will beat rivals such as the Galaxy Z Fold4 or OPPO Find N in this respect as well. The Mix Fold 2 is also now expected to offer improvements in other areas of its design.

Google had included Nokia on its list of OEMs enrolled in its Android 13 Developer Preview Program, which means it has devices eligible for the OS' Beta 1 and later versions from now. However, the HMD Global brand has now revealed that this applies to only 1 phone thus far: the 2021 X20.

A growing and increasingly well-replicated body of Xiaomi 12 Ultra leaks hint that this upcoming flagship smartphone will come with a camera hump designed to house up to 5 different lenses in a circular arrangement. However, the latest live-image tip shows a device with a similar rear panel, but with fewer contents this time around.

Huawei's latest launch announcement seems to be for the attention of a European audience, an indication that has sparked speculation that its latest foldable flagship smartphone, the Mate Xs 2, will be the highlight of this show. It might be joined by a new wearable such as the new member of the Watch GT series.

Qualcomm has been said to have ambitions to launch the Plus version of its 2022 flagship mobile SoC earlier in the year compared to that of 2021. However, global circumstances may have disrupted these plans. Therefore, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 series might fail to exhibit an accelerated product cycle as projected.

Samsung has just previewed the latest in its storage solutions for hardware such as smartphones, tablets. The OEM has indicated that these new chips could help these devices use and transfer data up to twice as fast as their predecessors, while using as little as half the power. These new UFS 4.0-compatible chips could also boost portability in these products, not to mention their compatibility with more demanding use-cases, perhaps even VR/AR.

The Find N is OPPO's first-gen foldable, and is most like the Galaxy Z Fold series in terms of form-factor. Like this Samsung flagship, the N is tipped to gain a clamshell-style counterpart soon, not to mention a potential refresh or upgrade with Qualcomm's next flagship SoC. They are now tipped to launch with what might be reasonable enough price-tags in China.

A new leak backs Huawei to get a Mate 50 series of premium phablets on the market in 2022 - however, they are also now not slated to materialize for a couple of months. This delay may enable the OEM to release the devices alongside a new way to get around the current restrictions that might keep their processors 4G/LTE-only.

Google has now officially confirmed that Android 13 has moved along the path to a full release to the point at which its first public beta is now available. Those who own eligible Pixel-series devices can install it to enhance the level of control they have over how apps use media files, if not much else at this point.

The Vivo X80 series of Android smartphones is now official, which means their V1 Plus (or V1+) image signal processor (ISP) is as well. This chipset is exclusive to the new devices, and is rated to augment some aspects of their battery-saving and gaming functions as well as those of their new Zeiss-tuned rear cameras.

LG has begun to push a new major software upgrade to the V60 ThinQ in the US. Then again, the update to Android 12 has reportedly only hit those units associated with the carrier T-Mobile. This is probably one of the last times the device will receive an OTA from its OEM.

Huawei has already made a surprising and abrupt return to a first-gen design in its technically fifth-gen foldable phablet, the upcoming Mate Xs 2. Now, a display-industry leaker purports to spill its pricing ahead of its launch, which frankly seems counter-intuitive given the specs also just allegedly spilled with respect to the new phablet.

Huawei has been thought to launch its next premium foldable smartphone as the Mate X3; however, one of the OEM's top executives has just officially revealed that the Mate Xs 2 instead. In even more unexpected news, this imminent 2022 model even reprises the older, external-screen design of its OG predecessor.

Vivo has confirmed that it will launch the X80 series of Android smartphones soon. Now, it is also slated to introduce a second-gen image signal processor (ISP) that may be exclusive to the devices. This "V1+" chipset is said to be an in-house chipset that will help control the new camera hardware found in the X80 series.

Vivo has just debuted its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-based flagship smartphone for 2022; now, according to a new leak, a MediaTek Dimensity 9000-powered alternative is on the way. This X80 Pro's design has allegedly leaked in full for the first time, alongside its launch date and a confirmation of integrated Zeiss technology for its rear cameras.

Some recent leaks have pointed to Sony IMX "800-" (and "900-") series cameras that will grace the high-end Android phones of the near future. Now, a famous tipster claims to outline how one of these next-gen 50MP sensors will improve on its alleged 766 predecessor. Its alleged specs imply scope for upgraded low-light performance and image quality compared to existing CMOS.

After a long wait, Android 12 arrived on the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro in Europe (and other regions, since the update is a global one) as MIUI 13.0.2. The update package has 3.3 GB in size and includes quite a few changes and fixes, but also packs new bugs and compatibility issues (Xiaomi's popular app Poco Launcher is also a victim).

The demand for Galaxy S22-series devices has reportedly started to flag in Samsung's native South Korea. Carriers in the country have responded to this drop in sales by increasing subsidies for the phones. It is not certain that this situation has arisen because of the recent Game Optimization Services (GOS) controversy, although it may not have helped.

The display specialist TCL CSOT has reportedly demonstrated a display for potential next-gen mobile devices that can support refresh rates from 1 to 144 hertz (Hz). This would improve on even the best smartphone displays of 2022, which can only get up to 120Hz in the same respect. Like these panels, TCL's prototype also has LTPO technology.

Nexode is the power accessory OEM UGREEN's latest brand of chargers for devices such as smartphones, tablets and USB type-C compatible ultrabooks. Going by its first member, the company intends this new series to be marked by lots of ports, lots of power delivery and lots of safety. To this end, the Nexode 100W features UGREEN's latest gallium nitride (GaN) technology.

The 12 Ultra is a rumored successor for the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, a top-end Android smartphone that comes with a ceramic rear panel. Now, the alleged 2022 update is rumored to continue this trend - however, the OEM is now tipped to offer the flagship with alternative backing materials this year.

What happens when 2 of the most prominent 5G bands (sub-6GHz and mmWave) are combined over 1 network? Potentially enhanced speeds and utility, according to AIS. The Thai mobile carrier and broadband provider has partnered with Qualcomm and ZTE to show a working example of this technique in public for the first time.

Huawei is rumored to provide a successor to the Mate X2 premium foldable phablet in 2022, even if it can't support 5G. Now, a device with its alleged model number has reportedly been approved for sale by the regulator 3C. Therefore, the X3 might see a launch event soon.

Xiaomi is predicted to launch a second-gen foldable phablet in 2022. This "Mix Fold 2" is painted as a device with multiple, and potentially crucial, upgrades compared to its alleged predecessor in a new leak, one that even hints its manufacture might be adapted to incorporate the newest and fastest chipset possible.

Vivo has now set the existence of the X Fold, its inaugural Samsung Galaxy Z Fold-alike mobile device, in stone. Now, it has also confirmed the date on which it intends to unveil this premium smartphone in full. It might land alongside its conventional counterpart, the X Note, and more hardware besides.

Sony's IMX line of CMOS is one of the best-known series of smartphone camera sensors out there. Now, one of its next generation is linked to a spec that could nearly rival that of the main shooter found in the Xperia PRO-I flagship. Should the leaker behind this rumor be accurate, it could thus be one of the biggest of its kind out there.

Xiaomi has now released its financial performance report for 2021, a year in which the OEM now claims to have shipped a "record high" 190.3 million units. These sales netted the major smart-device company a net profit of nearly 70% more than that in 2020, derived from revenue that increased nearly 34% year-on-year (YoY). Xiaomi also shipped more premium phones worldwide compared to 2020.

Android's next major software upgrade is already linked to a portfolio of tweaks and changes, the vast majority seem to affect how it looks and acts thus far. However, Google has now announced that it aims to maximize UX devices that run the latest version of its OS, through new, potentially tighter controls on how apps use battery off-screen.

Vivo has hinted that it will launch a premium mobile device called the X Note at some point in 2022. This event might occur sooner rather than later, as the flagship has now reportedly leaked onto a Chinese retail site. It seems to reiterate a number of the phone's more interesting specs, its larger-than-average screen included. Despite its size, it might still be in line for some of the latest panel technology.

The next major upgrade to Android seems right on track with the release of its second developer-preview version (or DP2). It now provides a system pop-up for users to allow or prevent apps from sending notifications. Android 13 DP2 also seems to pertain to the OS' emerging tablet version, adding new and possibly welcome tweaks to its UI.

Huawei is projected to launch a new flagship Mate-series flagship, which might even have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, soon. Should a newly-posted image purporting to show a screen protector for this Pro device prove true, it will also do so with one of the widest notches the OEM has designed for years - and that's not all the leak suggests about this display.

Foldables are increasingly likely to be the future of mobile devices; then again, even the highest-end of them come with some compromises right now, one of which is often a lack of in-display fingerprint readers. However, Vivo's rumored first-gen X Fold is now slated to have not just one but two of them.

Honor has announced that it will follow its MWC 2022 launch for the new Magic4 series with one specifically for the Chinese market. This event, now set for an imminent March 2022 start-time, is said to introduce a novel Ultimate variant in addition to the models unveiled earlier. Should this rumor prove true, the new top-end handset might debut with a new main camera from Sony.

Vivo is a smartphone OEM projected to launch its inaugural foldable device soon. Now, this rumored flagship has allegedly leaked again, and in the wild this time. The live image in question has been posted to Weibo and may thus put the “X Fold’s” main display on show in real life for the first time.

YouTube has had a toggle to open a transcript of a compatible video for some time now. However, it has only been available on via desktop browsers so far. Now, however, it has reportedly been spotted on the app's Android version. The feature seems to have been heavily modified for its new format.

The Xiaomi 12 Ultra might have been expected to launch by the end of March 2022, going by the rumored super-flagship phone's predecessor, not to mention the frequency of leaks surrounding the supposed device. However, according to a legendary tipster, it is in fact at a relatively early stage in development and may not make it to the market until later in 2022.

Nothing is a new tech company that often backs itself to have the potential to bring uniquely-designed hardware to market. Now, a design blog has taken this "ethos" into account in publishing a new set of high-quality images that outline how it imagines the OEM's first-gen smartphone is going to look. It has indeed gotten creative in areas such as the putative device's biometrics and rear cameras.

Vivo is projected to launch an inaugural foldable smartphone in 2022. It is thought to be an alternative to its also possibly upcoming X Note at the top end of its mobile device offerings for the year. Now, both have reportedly been certified by the 3C regulator in China with similar specs in some respects.

A tech YouTuber has pitted Samsung's new flagship, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and Apple's iPhone 13 Pro Max against each other in a test of battery endurance. Some enthusiasts may have spotted that this has already been done; however, this one also included different recently-launched premium devices, including those from OnePlus, OPPO - and iQOO.

The famous leaker Evan Blass has posted a picture of what seems to be Carl Pei with Nothing to show current Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. However, the Nothing in question is now slated to be an upcoming inaugural smartphone from the start-up of the same name. Accordingly, it just might contain one or two on-trend design features detectable from this image.