Android

Four years after release, Samsung has finally turned off the hall lights for owners of the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The two smartphones are now to be considered legacy devices and will no longer receive any scheduled security updates from Samsung. The Galaxy Note 8 and S8 Active are next in line for a similar treatment.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5G is said to be succeeded by a device called the Z Flip3 in 2021. Its latest leak seems to confirm that it will still be a clamshell foldable smartphone, albeit one with a larger, potentially more useful secondary display. Its latest renders also show this putative feature alongside its main Dynamic AMOLED screen.

Most likely set to arrive before the end of the month, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite should hit the market with a full HD display and Android 11-based firmware. Both variants (WiFi only and WiFi + cellular) will use a MediaTek processor, and multiple country-specific models are also in the cards.

MediaTek has been forecast to finish 2021 as the leading mobile chipset maker according to a report by Counterpoint Research. It will be the second consecutive year that it has beaten out Qualcomm, although Qualcomm edges out Apple as the leading maker of 5G-capable SoCs.

The OnePlus 9 Pro is a 2021 flagship Android phone launched in 3 color choices, one of which evinced the brand's signature Sandstone Black. However, according to the reliable leaker Max J., the OEM once considered a very different new option: Matte White. It also apparently mulled other, glossy finishes for its latest premium devices that ended up never seeing the light of day.

A new rumor about the Xiaomi MIUI 13 release date has started making the rounds, presumably with the specific day pointing to a domestic China release first before the Android overlay is rolled out around the world. Joining this MIUI 13 launch rumor is a speculative list of 80 Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco, and Black Shark smartphones that could be eligible for this update.

The prolific leaker Ice Universe has made new predictions concerning the Galaxy S22 series' Ultra variant. Not only does the tipster believe that it will introduce the mythical Samsung/AMD mobile GPU, it will also debut with a potential breakthrough in optical zoom for smartphones. The putative flagship may also drop the current central punch-hole selfie shooter for one that hides under the display.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 has seemingly appeared in numerous screenshots possibly taken from an official promo video. The leaked images reveal that the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which will apparently go into production in July, has an under display camera and restrained look to it. Buyers will get to select from four colors for the foldable phone.
Update: Designer Ben Geskin has created a clear render based on the current leaked images.

Oppo fans in Europe will be delighted to know that the Oppo A54 5G is now official in the region for EUR 269 (US$324). The smartphone comes with exciting specs, such as a 6.5-inch LCD screen clocked at 90Hz, four rear cameras, and a Snapdragon 480 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery.

The Oppo A74 5G has officially been launched in Europe. Some of its key specifications include a 6.5-inch 90Hz LCD screen, Snapdragon 480 chipset, 6GB RAM, four rear camera modules, and a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. It comes in two colour variants, Fluid Black and Space Silver, and costs EUR 299.

Images of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 have appeared online seemingly taken from an official promo video for the upcoming foldable phone. The screenshots show the Galaxy Z Flip 3 sporting at least four different colors; however, a noted industry source has stated that the Samsung flip phone will come in eight colors. Production of the device will apparently begin in July.

The ZTE brand Nubia has reportedly registered a new device called the NX667J. This new leak has led to speculation that it is a premium-grade phone called the Z30, not the least because it has been certified to use top-end 120 watt (W) charging. It might thus be combined with under-display camera technology in this potential upcoming flagship.

The Mi 11 Ultra is Xiaomi's new, camera-heavy flagship Android smartphone. It debuted in China in March 2021, but is still not available in various regions, Europe included. Now, however, a corporate Facebook page may have let a date for the release of the hyper-premium device in the Dutch market slip.

Death, taxes, and Xiaomi phones going up in flames—the three certainties of life. Or so it seems recently, anyway. Another Xiaomi phone has now blown up, just two weeks after a similar case with a Poco X3. The device in this case was a Redmi Note 9 Pro, however.

The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (or FE) is rumored to get a successor in 2021. Now, a Samsung store website has reportedly posted an ad for a device by a corresponding name by accident. According to this new potential tip, it also looks much like the rest of the S21 series.

Huawei is currently said to have upgrades for its premium MatePad Pro and Watch in the works. A well-known leaker now asserts that they do in fact exist and will launch soon. The tipster also now claims that the Watch3 will have a Pro variant, which, according to other recent rumors, will not come cheap.

Recent reports suggest that Samsung is developing an "Armor"-themed series of new design features for its next-gen mobile devices, the latest of which could be applied to rear panels, displays or both. These leaked marketing buzzwords have sparked speculation that they are intended to enhance durability in next-gen products, the Galaxy Z Flips and Folds of the future included.

The Nord N100 and N10 5G are OnePlus' foray into the low- and mid-tiers of the smartphone market. Despite this, it has yet to be released in all the regions where the OEM is active. A new leak hints they might be destined for a new launch in India, however.

Xiaomi has announced a new round of MIUI 12.5 Global Stable ROM testing, albeit only for POCO devices this time. All POCO smartphones apart from the Pocophone F1 are eligible to join the program. Xiaomi has not explained why the Pocophone F1 is missing from the program.

More ZenFone 8 series details have been revealed, and it seems that only the ZenFone 8 Mini will have a flip-up camera. The 5.92-inch device will also have a 4,000 mAh battery and up to 16 GB of RAM. All ZenFone 8 devices should feature a 3.5 mm headphone jack, too.

Xiaomi has developed a penchant for raising the prices of its devices in India without warning, after launch. The latest victim is the Redmi Note 10 that was launched a few months ago, with the company raising prices by Rs 500 across all configurations of the device.

Samsung is reportedly developing the new "Armor" frame for the smartphones of the immediate future. Now, a new tip suggests the OEM might combine it with another new feature called Pro-Shield. It is apparently destined for various device categories, and might thus benefit the potential tri-folding tablets hinted at in another new leak.

Huawei is on the verge of launching the P50 series, although it remains to be seen in what capacity. Various dummy handsets have confirmed some earlier rumours about the upcoming flagship series, including its camera design and that it will run HarmonyOS rather than EMUI.

Qualcomm has now released its fiscal performance report for the second quarter of 2021 (2FQ2021). The OEM claims to have made a total of US$7.9 billion in terms of revenue, ~$1.8 billion of which is its net income. Most of this has come from its semiconductor-producing arm, which has posted a 137% growth in pre-tax earnings year-on-year (YoY).

Sony's pricing for the Xperia 1 III has emerged, and it is a lot higher than what the company charged for previous models. While the Xperia 1 launched at CNY 6,299 (~US$973), the Xperia 1 III starts at CNY 8,499 (~US$1,313). The Xperia 1 II currently costs CNY 7,499 (~US$1,159) in China too.

It seems that OnePlus has gone all LG with its software support for older smartphones. The company has confirmed that the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T will not receive Android 11 Open Beta updates until the end of August, just in time for Android 12's arrival. So much for Never Settle, OnePlus.

The Galaxy Tab S7+ (or Plus) is a 2020 premium Samsung device with an AMOLED display. Unfortunately, as such, it has reportedly run afoul of the "green tint" issue. Some customers claim to have faced this on-screen blemish for months, and that the OEM has yet to push a definitive solution of any kind as yet.

The latest update for Vivaldi, which was released earlier today, brings the version number up to 3.8 on both desktop and mobile. The list of changes includes a new way to add bookmarks, redesigned panels, Google's FLoC component blacklisted by default, a built-in cookie crumbler, quick ways to access the Start Page (Android version), and more.

Honor is already on the verge of launching another smartphone, the Honor Play 5. Apparently, the Honor Play 5 will be more powerful than the Play 5T Youth Edition that Honor launched earlier this month.

OnePlus has released the results for its business in the European region for the first quarter of 2021 (1Q2021). The OEM asserts that sales in this market have increased by 388% compared to 1Q2020, leading to revenues of 286% more year-on-year (YoY). It also claims to be in the top 3 among smartphone brands in multiple countries of this zone.

The POCO M3 Pro 5G is on its way to market, and it will be a rebranded Redmi Note 10 5G. The POCO M3 Pro 5G will be available in multiple markets, including the EU. The device will have a Dimensity 700 SoC, a 90 Hz display and a 48 MP main camera.

Previous leaks have already shown the V70 ThinQ to have a Snapdragon 888 and 8 GB of RAM, but a new report alleges that the device will have other flagship features too, including a 120 Hz display and a large battery. Unfortunately, LG reportedly plans to produce fewer than 1,000 units.

According to a new report, Honor is planning to return to using Qualcomm SoCs, following its split with Huawei. Apparently, the company is developing a flagship with the Snapdragon 888 Plus, presumably an overclocked Snapdragon 888. The device will run MagicUI 5.0 based on Android 11.

Motorola has some new Edge smartphones in the pipeline, according to reports. Up to four models are supposedly in development, including the Kyoto, a budget entry with a 108 MP primary camera.

The Korean manufacturer made only a few minor changes to its ruggedised smartphone. However, the target group for this kind of smartphone would not mind...

Samsung has just launched the Galaxy M42 via Amazon in India. It is the first ever M-series phone to support 5G, and also offers quad rear cameras, a 5,000mAh battery and OneUI 3.1 based on Android 11. It will start at ~US$270 on its May 1, 2021 release.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) had indicated that its flagship Consumer Electronics Show (CES) might be able to return to a live format in 2022. Now, the group has confirmed that this is indeed the case. Therefore, the conference will be held in its classic Las Vegas setting through January 5 to 8 of next year.

Spotify is planning to raise prices in certain regions including Europe and the United States. However, the price hikes aren't uniform and, thankfully, they don't appear to be extreme.

The Nubia Z20 stood out among Android flagship phones thanks to the 5.1-inch display built right into its rear panel. However, its maker has now shared renders that suggest its next generation will not reprise the feature. Then again, it may get a display with a selfie camera that can be concealed under its panel instead.

Xiaomi's premium gaming-phone brand Black Shark has announced that its 2021 vanilla flagship is now available to pre-order from its global web-site. Customers can get the Snapdragon 870-powered, up-to-120W-charging phone, which starts at US$499, with a case and a cooling accessory thrown in for a limited time.

Amazon has updated its popular range of affordable Android-based Fire HD 10 tablets and launched a new Fire Kids Pro range of tablets. The new Fire 10 HD devices offer more RAM, improved performance and brighter displays and come in a range of colors and storage options.

ASUS has confirmed that it has adopted a conventional punch-hole display for at least one of its upcoming ZenFone 8 handsets. It seems that ASUS will launch at least the ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Mini on May 12, but a ZenFone 8 Flip may be up for release, too.

OPPO has revealed that it will release a new version of its fitness tracker soon. This "Vitality Edition" has been hyped as supporting continuous sleep- and blood-oxygen tracking thus far. The OEM should outline its specs in full during its upcoming May 6, 2021 product event, which will also see the launch of the upcoming K9 phone and TV.

Xiaomi has begun rolling out MIUI 12.5 to select Redmi handsets. Until now, only recent Mi flagship smartphones were eligible, as was the Mi 9 SE. Now, Xiaomi has chosen five Redmi devices for MIUI 12.5, albeit still only on MIUI's Chinese branch.

Today (April 27, 2021), Redmi has introduced the long-hyped new member of the flagship K40 series as its Gaming Enhanced Edition. It is equipped with the premium MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC, a thin-bezel FHD+ AMOLED display, retractable shoulder buttons and a 5065mAh battery. It can be pre-ordered for as little as 1999 yuan (~US$308), although its Bruce Lee-themed special edition maxes out at just above $430.

Xiaomi and Samsung have reputedly teamed up to produce a custom SoC. Apparently, the chipset will feature the upcoming ARM Cortex-X2, along with ARM Mali GPU cores. The pair are believed to be in advanced negotiations.