Android

Sony's next compact Xperia smartphone has appeared on the Google Play Console. The 5.5-inch device has also turned up in case renders as manufacturers prepare for its release.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro designs have already leaked and now have the latter's rear-facing cameras. Apparently, Google has finally equipped a Pixel smartphone with a periscope camera, which would be a huge change for the Pixel series.

Sharp has launched its latest Aquos R6 in its home market of Japan. The new device has captured quite a lot of interest as it features some interesting tech in the form of an OLED display that sports a 240 Hz variable refresh rate and a main camera with a whopping big 1-inch camera sensor tuned by Leica.

LG is apparently offering the LG Velvet 2 Pro, which has also been called the LG Rainbow, at an incredible bargain price to the company’s employees in Korea. It seems those who take up the offer, which does have some downsides to it, can expect to pay less than a fifth of the full price for the Velvet 2 Pro.
Update: Alleged key specs have been posted.

Samsung Display has published several new images that heavily point to the next-generation foldable devices that will come from Samsung’s mobile division. The Display division released the shots ahead of the upcoming SID Display Week which showcases the very latest in display technologies from companies across the globe.

Xiaomi sells the Redmi Note 10 and the Redmi Note 10 Pro with the Snapdragon 678 and Snapdragon 732G respectively. While certain other features differentiate the two models, it appears raw performance between the two chipsets is close enough to raise questions about how "Pro" exactly the Redmi Note 10 Pro is.

OPPO has commemorated the recent touchdown of China's rover on Mars with a new edition of its 2021 Find X3 Pro flagship Android smartphone. It has 16GB of RAM, as well as a new color apparently inspired by outer space. It can be pre-ordered for the equivalent of ~US$1090 from now.

The ZTE brand Nubia has confirmed that its Z series of flagship phones is back and is just about to launch in 2021. A combination of leaks and teasers appear to confirm an upgrade to an under-display selfie camera for this upcoming device. Meanwhile, rumors of a 64MP main shooter and a periscope lens might be backed up in its previews.

Android 12 may still be months away from a stable release, but a promotional video has already leaked. Google's next OS features many changes, although most will probably be confined to devices running stock Android, excluding those produced by Samsung, OnePlus and Xiaomi.

A noted tech leaker has made a social media post about Sony and Wena that has led to some speculation about a potential Sony Xperia smartwatch being in the works. Others believe there might be a Smartwatch 4 coming, over six years after the launch of the Sony SmartWatch 3. Unfortunately, machine translation has caused some ambiguity here.

The affordable smartphone OEM Ulefone has released a new teaser for an upcoming device with an extra-large charge capacity. The company asserts that it will alleviate low-battery anxiety, and will thus be ideal for working or power users. The new product's price or availability has yet to be revealed.

Another Xiaomi patent has turned up, this time revealing that the Chinese OEM is still looking into slider technology and its utilization in future smartphones. The innovative Mi Mix 3 came with a slide-out top-side camera but Xiaomi has gone much further in this particular patent, producing an intriguing dual side-slider smartphone with a secondary display.

Xiaomi has announced when it intends to announce the POCO M3 Pro 5G, its next budget smartphone for the brand. The re-branded Redmi Note 10 5G will arrive with a more arresting design though, and will be available globally.

Two new EUIPO filings suggest that Samsung is gearing to release a new Fan Edition smartphone later this year. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S21 FE in August at another Galaxy Unpacked event.

Casio's newest watch belongs to its iconic G-SHOCK line-up, combining analog and digital components into one fitness-focused accessory. However, it also has Bluetooth so as to transfer workout progress to a paired smartwatch via the series' Move app. It displays steps, running distance and other metrics tracked by the watch.

Honor has reportedly certified 2 new phones with the Chinese 3C authority. One has been approved in conjunction with a power adapter that can charge the device at up to 66W, whereas the other apparently has a brick that can do so at up to 100W. These high-end specs have led to talk that the devices are none other than the upcoming Honor 50 flagship series.

Samsung is currently projected to launch the Galaxy A22 smartphone in both 5G and 4G/LTE variants, which might make it a bargain in either market. The leaker Ishan Agarwal has posted new renders via 91Mobiles indicating both putative versions are to come with the same 4 colorways. However, they might differ in terms of other specs.

Specifications and details have leaked in regard to a Redmi Note 8 (2021) smartphone that is allegedly heading for the Global, EU, and Russia markets. The 2021 Redmi Note 8 has appeared on the FCC, revealing its MIUI 12.5 software. The latest addition to the Redmi Note 8 series is expected to feature a MediaTek Helio G85 SoC.

The first rumoured designs for the Pixel 6 series are in, and they suggest that Google has made sweeping changes from last year's conservative Pixel 5. With a pronounced camera housing, minimal bezels and a square design, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro look nothing like any previous Pixel smartphones.

The Galaxy Z Fold2 has bagged a camera update, over six months after the foldable's release. Now, the device supports some of the advanced functionality that Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S21 series.

The Xiaomi Mi A3 is near the end of its software support, but it has still picked up the May 2021 security patch update. V12.0.9.0.RFQMIXM is rolling out now as an OTA and addresses over a dozen critical or high CVEs for the device.

Xiaomi's FlipBuds Pro are the OEM's first TWS earbuds with triple-mic active noise cancellation. They also feature a dedicated audio chip from Qualcomm, Bluetooth 5.2 and up to 28 hours of battery life. These high-end specs do make them more expensive than their predecessors.

Sony's latest mid-range smartphone is now pre-orderable in multiple countries. The Xperia 10 III is available in up to four colours, and comes with a pre-order gift that would usually cost about US$100.

Xiaomi has now revealed some initial sales numbers for the Redmi Note 10 series. Early today, company executive Manu Kumar Jain confirmed that the company has sold 500 Crore worth of the Redmi Note 10 series phones, presumably in India, within the first two weeks. That translates into about US$68 million in sales.

The electronics giant Xiaomi had been banned from the US investment market following a blacklisting by the Trump administration, based on claims of the OEM's association with the Chinese military. However, Xiaomi has strongly denied this, and has now won legal action in order to reverse the action against it.

DxOMark has started evaluating smartphone battery life, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra has fared poorly. The Exynos 2100 version languishes near the bottom of DxOMark's battery leaderboard, but the overall score is more than just a measure of battery life.

Xiaomi will not be revealing MIUI 13 in June, a representative from the company has claimed. While the company has not denied the volume of devices that will supposedly be eligible for MIUI 13, it asserts that the OSes rumoured launch date is a fabrication.

The latest model introduces a slightly smaller curved AMOLED touchscreen than on last year's Axon 20 Ultra, but its faster refresh rate, larger battery, and upgraded cameras aim to outweigh the smaller size.

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 10S and Redmi Watch in the Indian market. The Redmi Note 10S is powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC and is the first Xiaomi device to run MIUI 12.5 out-of-the-box. The Redmi Watch is essentially the Mi Watch Lite but with a brighter display. Unlike the competition, the Redmi Watch lacks an SpO2 sensor citing accuracy reasons.

Numerous leaks have painted Asus' 2021 camera-centric flagship phone as the first "Mini" variant of its kind, and the Taiwanese OEM has not let these expectations down on its launch. The new device does indeed have an unusually small 5.9-inch 20:9 display. Then again, there is also the ZenFone 8 Flip, a third-gen motor-cam phone.

Samsung has applied to trademark the term "Activate Fan Mode" in Europe. This possible new setting applies to smartphones and tablets, thus strongly suggesting these devices will start launching with physical fans soon. This would be a particularly advanced next step in mobile-device cooling, if so.

Samsung has added a new camera mode to the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series. The company has called the mode 'Dual Recording', which is a stripped-back version of Director's View introduced with the Galaxy S21 series.

Xiaomi had hinted that it would debut its Mi 11 Ultra flagship Android phone in Europe on May 11, 2021, and has just delivered with a German launch event for this device. The 50MP camera monster has arrived in its new market alongside the region's first Redmi Note 10-series phones and the Mi P1 smart TVs.

The Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite were released in mid-2018. Following traditional Android One standards, both phones are entitled to three years of security updates in total; for some reason, however, the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite have now gone months without an update from Xiaomi.

The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Lite has leaked again, but this time as the Galaxy Tab S7 XL Lite. New certification documents confirm that the 12.4-inch tablet will arrive in as at least four models, including a 5G variant.

Honor has confirmed the release date of its next smartphone, the Play5 5G. The device will have five cameras and will be available in multiple colours.

The 2021 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold is a device with leaked renders that have generally hinted at triple rear cameras, not to mention an inaugural under-display selfie shooter, thus far. A leaker now claims to outline their actual resolutions, along with some other parameters for the upcoming super-flagship's photography prowess.

European pricing for the ZenFone 8 has leaked, and it seems that ASUS will position the device as a budget flagship smartphone. The ZenFone 8 should be available with up to 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, albeit for just €800.

The Redmi Note 10S is one of the first device's receive MIUI 12.5 globally. The update is available for devices enrolled on MIUI's European and Global branches, and will be distributed as an OTA download. The Redmi Note 10S should arrive with MIUI 12.5 in India when it launches later this week, too.

According to a new report, Xiaomi is set to furnish up to 89 devices with MIUI 13, its next OS. Black Shark, Mi, POCO and Redmi devices are all included, although not some older flagships like the Mi 8, Mi Mix 3 and Pocophone F1.

Lenovo has officially confirmed that the Yoga Pad Pro 13 will launch on May 24, 2021 in China. Moreover, the device's new teasers show it has a new take on its series' classic stand/hang-tab and barrel grip. It is said to pack an HDMI port, as well as dual USB type Cs.

The emergence of Honor as an independent electronics brand has led to speculation that it will release premium Snapdragon 888-based mobile devices in 2021. The latest leak on this subject asserts that it will become available in June of the same year. Meanwhile, a render of the 50 vanilla model with a new camera hump has emerged.

The respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reportedly noted that Apple plans to make iPhones with in-house 5G modem SoCs in the next few years. This would be a considerable blow to Qualcomm, the Cupertino giant's current source of chipsets necessary for up-to-date connectivity. It might mean the chip-maker would lose more of a grip on the 5G market.

The Qualcomm mobile station modem (MSM) series is part of 3G to 5G connectivity for millions of Android phones worldwide. The Check Point security research group now claims that it can be exploited in a way that might allow a hacker to read a user's messages and even listen in on phonecalls. This flaw involves an interface found on up to 30% of all phones worldwide.

Redmi recently launched a 'game-focused' version of its premium K40 smartphone with MediaTek's flagship Dimensity 1200 processor. Now, the prolific leaker Digital Chat Station claims the Xiaomi-owned brand will launch a device with the "next step down", the 1100, soon. Could it be a Gaming Enhanced Edition Lite?

OPPO has just announced a new Android update schedule for high-end phones such as those of the new Find X3 flagship series. It involves major software upgrades over the first three years post-launch, as opposed to two under the previous scheme. Therefore, not only will the OEM's latest premium phones get Android 12, they will also definitely get this OS' successor as well.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 looks like it might be joining the Galaxy Z Fold 3 with S-Pen support. A recent trademark application for the Z Flip reveals that the device will include support for an electronic pen which is great news for Note fans who will miss out on a new model this year.