Android

Multiple ASUS ZenFone 8 Mini variants just showed up on Geekbench running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. The top-of-the-line model has 16GB of RAM, while the scaled-down versions make do with 12GB and 8GB.

ZTE has debuted its 2021 flagship smartphone series with a launch for the Axon 30 Pro and 30 Ultra in China. The latter is the one with the OEM's intensely-hyped "Trinity" rear camera system. It also has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and, of course, that Snapdragon 888 SoC.

TCL has launched new smartphones at its latest press conference. They include the 20 Pro 5G, which offers this brand's NXTVISION 2.0 screen optimizations and the Snapdragon 750G processor. However, the 20 L and 20 L+ also have an interesting new feature to introduce: a new TÜV Rheinland-certified polarizing treatment designed to make their displays easier to use while wearing sunglasses.

We may still be two months from the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite's release, but Evan Blass has delivered several marketing renders. Shown in Mystic Black, the 12.4-inch tablet is expected to launch with a Snapdragon 750G, 5G connectivity and S Pen support.

Mobvoi is not stopping with the TicWatch GTH, which it released this week. Instead, the company also plans to launch the TicWatch E3, a smartwatch that will run Wear OS. The TicWatch E3 has a round watch face, slimmer bezels than the E2 and two physical buttons.

Pre-order prices for both the Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III have been published on the company’s country-specific site for Russia. While the prices for the new phones are expectedly high, it seems there is a decent headphones-related gift to be had for Russian Xperia fans who make a timely pre-order booking.

An alleged Geekbench record for the just-launched Sony Xperia 1 III has been shared on Reddit, showing the flagship smartphone surpassing the Samsung Galaxy S21 devices in both single-core and multi-core disciplines. The Xperia 1 III with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC completely overwhelms the Xperia 1 II with SD865.

At a current price of about 89 Euros (~$106), it's almost impossible to find anything cheaper than the Redmi 9AT. However, Xiaomi cuts some corners in its entry-level phone in order to push the price below 100 Euros (~$119). Our review of the Redmi smartphone also reveals some unexpected differences compared with the Redmi 9A.

Xiaomi has started rolling out MIUI 12.5 to the Mi 11, one of its latest flagship smartphones. The update includes not only bug fixes from MIUI 12, but also new features and noticeable performance improvements. MIUI 12.5 should reach other Xiaomi smartphones later this year.

The Redmi Note 10 series is now available in India - on the other hand, it is missing its vanilla 5G variant. Now, there are signs that this Dimensity 700-powered phone is coming to the market after all, albeit under a different name. Xiaomi has attested that it will bear the POCO brand in India - and possibly in the US as well.

Sony has introduced two new Xperia premium phones — the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III. Both phones sport largely similar specifications including the Snapdragon 888 5G SoC with the main differences being with respect to the display, storage options, wireless charging, and a 3D ToF camera. The highlight of this launch is the introduction of a variable telephoto lens that offers a focal length between 70 mm and 105 mm.

Motorola is geared to release its next budget device, the Moto G20, in the near future. Specs, features, and images of the phone have now been revealed, with a major talking point being the SoC—Motorola eschewing offerings from Qualcomm and MediaTek in favor of a UNISOC T700.

Sony has unveiled the Xperia 10 III, which builds on the Xperia 10 II. The Xperia 10 III retains its predecessor's design, but Sony has upgraded its battery capacity to 4,500 mAh. Additionally, the Snapdragon 665 from last year's model has been swapped out for a Snapdragon 690.

The LG Wing is, as it turns out, one of this OEM's last ever high-end smartphones. It is also the only one around with an innovative "swivel-action" main display. It is currently on sale for 62% (or ~US$665) off its normal price via Flipkart in India: clearly, the retailer has noticed LG has left the smartphone market.

Google Camera modders have found what could be an exciting feature of the Pixel 6. It seems that Google has added support for Samsung's camera sensors to its Super Res Zoom feature, indicating that the next Pixel could use an ISOCELL camera sensor.

The latest update for this custom Android ROM now supports four more Xiaomi handsets and integrates the latest security patch from Google. The list of added features includes multiple UI changes, fixes, as well as always-on scheduling, system-wide app locking, and a new ringtone.

A live image of the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 III has been leaked showing the flagship smartphone clad in black and purple. An accompanying specs leak has revealed 12 GB RAM, a 6.5-inch 4K display, and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The Xperia 1 III will also apparently have a larger battery than the Sony Xperia 1 II predecessor.

MediaTek and Nvidia have announced a new partnership that will see the former’s Arm-based CPUs married with the latter’s GPUs. It will see Nvidia’s RTX graphics joined with Arm-based PCs and laptops, including Chromebooks, for the first time, substantially increasing their graphics performance.

The US Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) has approved Samsung's patent for what is depicted as a "display device" that folds in half. It appears to be at least tablet-sized, and may thus be for the long-rumored Galaxy Tab Fold, or a very similar device. The document shows how Samsung intends to make a flexible display work on a larger scale.

The ZenFone 7 series is Asus' 2020 camera-focused flagship phone series. Despite this, the 2 devices are only just now receiving the OTA to update them to Android 11. This worldwide roll-out also upgrades their security patch level to March 5, 2021.

LG has confirmed which of its smartphones will see Android 12 and Android 13, while reiterating its Android 11 update plans. At least the LG Velvet and LG Wing will receive Android 13, while the V50, G8 and three Q-series smartphones will get Android 12. Inexplicably, the V60 ThinQ is missing from LG's update plans, despite being the company's last true flagship smartphone.

Samsung is not expected to release the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite for a few months, but the tablet has already stopped by the TENAA. The listing confirms the tablet's design, some of its connectivity options and at least one of the memory configurations in which Samsung will offer it.

A number of recent tips have pointed to the imminent launch of the Galaxy A82, although it might also be known as the Quantum2 in its maker Samsung's native South Korea. However, it now seems it will drop the distinctive flip-cam mechanism of its predecessor the A80 and become just another 2021 candy-bar device. Ice Universe claims to have hands-on images that confirm this rumor once and for all.

HMD Global may have received plaudits for committing to three years of OS updates for its new Nokia X-series. However, the Nokia G-series and C-series have not been treated to that same level of software support, even though HMD Global has released them at the same as the Nokia X-series.

New concept renders of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra have emerged online. They envision the smartphone to employ an unusually large 200MP sensor, complete with Olympus branding. S-Pen support is touted, too, along with an under-display selfie camera.

Sony is cooking up a big push into mobile gaming with a new mobile gaming strategy taking shape. The company’s plans have been revealed in a job posting for a new Head of Mobile, PlayStation Studios ad to be located in either San Mateo or Los Angeles, California.

Xiaomi has only just released its inaugural foldable in its native China. It has also announced its potential out-of-warranty repair costs, which specify amounts for which a whole new conventional flagship could be bought instead in some cases. For example, a 16GB Mi Mix Fold official motherboard replacement costs more than a brand-new Mi 11 Pro right now.

The Velvet 5G UW is the Verizon version of this LG premium mid-ranger. It was announced and released in 2020, and is now receiving the major software update that upgrades the phone to Android 11. It comes with new features such as conversation bubbles, Nearby Share and Focus Mode, and also raises the security patch level to that of March 2021.

HP has updated its premium 14-inch Chromebook x360 14c model with Intel’s latest 11th generation silicon. There are also a few other tweaks to its winning formula, but it also goes seemingly goes backwards in the battery life department oddly enough.

Steve Hemmerstoffer is at it again with an exclusive leak of the eagerly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. The Fan Edition variant of the Galaxy S21 is expected to debut in the coming months and should offer excellent bang-for-buck for users looking for a more alternative to the regular, but more premium Galaxy S21.

A Weibo account associated with Lenovo has released teasers for a new tablet called the Yoga Pad Pro - which might prove to be the Chinese variant of a slate to be called the Yoga Tab 13 in international markets. It is to be accompanied by another 11-inch tablet, as well as what might be a Yoga Duet 7i refresh.

The Xiaomi brand Redmi has indicated it will launch its first-ever Android phone for gaming in 2021. According to the leaker Digital Chat Station, it might be here sooner rather than later. The device is also now slated to launch in India as well as China, and to start at a markedly low ~US$300.

Motorola's affordable mid-range phone Moto G10 takes a new approach when it comes to the case: No more boring, standardized rear sides, but wavy patterns and iridescent colors instead. And we really like it.

Three years after the release of the Mi Mix 3, Xiaomi looks set to deliver the next device in the series—the Mi Mix 4. Unofficial renders of the phone have surfaced, painting an image of a device with potentially the slimmest, cleanest display design yet, in part thanks to an under-display selfie camera.

An alleged live image of the upcoming Sony Xperia 10 III has turned up online, showing off the smartphone in black and white livery. On top of that, an additional supposed specs leak has revealed that the Xperia 10 III will be powered by a Snapdragon 6-series chip and offer an attractive battery capacity bump over the Xperia 10 II.

The long-rumored Google Pixel Watch looks like it might be inching towards a release, probably later this year. Using a description provided by leaker Jon Prosser, @RendersBylan has created an unofficial render approximating what we can expect when it does eventually see the light of day.

The OnePlus 9R was originally presented as a "gaming" alternative variant of the OEM's latest flagship Android smartphone series that was exclusive to India. However, the company has now announced that it is to be available in China as well. The Snapdragon 870-powered device will debut in its new market in mid-April 2021.

Counterpoint Research has just released its first top-10 list of the best-selling smartphones in 2021. It shows that Apple dominates these rankings with no less than 6 different iPhones. They include every variant of the 12 series, although some were better placed than others. Samsung and Xiaomi secured the remaining slots.

Reports surfaced a few hours ago claiming that Google had canceled its plans for the release of a Pixel 5a. Google has swiftly laid those rumors to rest, though, by confirming that the Pixel 5a will be released later this year, at least in the US and Japan.

Samsung is reportedly working with legendary camera manufacturer Olympus to develop camera hardware for its upcoming devices. We could see it in action alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 this year or on the Galaxy S22 Ultra in 2022.

Some recent leaks have pointed to the prospect of a Lite version of the Galaxy Tab A7. Now, the addition of a new device to the support sections of a number of national Samsung websites may suggest this slate is nearly here. According to Geekbench, it has 3GB of RAM and runs One UI based on Android 11.

THX has unveiled the Onyx, a portable hi-res audio DAC that is compatible with both Android and iPhones as well as PCs and Macs. The new device features a high-quality ESS DAC, a THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (THX AAA) and includes a Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) decoder that will appeal to audio enthusiasts.

ZTE has raised eyebrows with its first serious challenger to the high-end Android smartphone market with the impending launch of the Axon 30 Ultra. However, hopes that it might also be competitively prices have been dashed with a rumor pointing to a US$1,200 starting price.

HMD Global has introduced the Nokia X10 and Nokia X20 5G phones based on the Snapdragon 480 5G platform. The Nokia X10 and X20 feature mostly identical specifications but differ with respect to the RAM, primary camera, and the front camera. HMD Global is also focusing on sustainability and has promised three years of OS and security updates.

Renowned YouTuber and smartphone breaker JerryRigEverything put the newly-launched Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 through the paces. The smartphone was quick to break in his bend test, much like the Asus ROG Phone 5. The area around the antenna lines seems to be the weak point, and gamers would do well to avoid applying pressure to that area.

The Redmi Note 10s' imminent global debut has effectively been confirmed through a new certification issued by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The new document registers the phone by name, and also specifies multiple variants that might be destined for different regions. They may include India and the EU.

Not much has been heard of HTC since it launched its Desire 21 Pro in January 2021. However, the OEM reportedly intends to stay in the smartphone industry for at least the rest of this year, with new 5G devices ready to go from the second quarter (2Q2021). HTC may also consolidate its presence in the enterprise-grade virtual or augmented reality (VR or AR) sector with new hardware and services.

Asus is geared to release a compact premium phone in the form of the Zenfone 8 Mini. That phone could be closer to release than expected, as it has now been spotted on the TUV certification website, with information on charging specifications.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra remains atop DxOMark's questionable leaderboard, where the Galaxy S21 Ultra scores less than its predecessor. The website's in-depth review compares the Mi 11 Ultra against the Huawei Mate 40 Pro Plus and the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which highlights the shortcomings of Samsung's latest flagship.