Android

Repeated leaks have pointed to the imminent arrival of a new member of the Lenovo Yoga Tab series. Now, the FCC has certified a device going by this device's alleged model number, indicating that it is destined for the US market, at least. It may launch there with the Snapdragon 870 processor, and, thus, as an Android slate.

Lenovo's upcoming gaming smartphone, the Legion 2 Pro, just showed up on the Master Lu benchmark database. It managed to defeat the Asus ROG Phone 5 by a somewhat narrow margin, with a total score of 962,115, which is a tad higher than the latter's score of 947,284. Lenovo will launch the smartphone in China on April 8.

Sony has announced a 2021 Xperia Worldwide Launch event that will take place on April 14. It’s possible the Xperia 1 III, Xperia 10 III, and the new Xperia Compact (Ace 2) will make an appearance. New Sony Xperia 1 III rumors have offered up a potential camera configuration, battery details, and an eye-watering price tag.

Not only has the camera of the OnePlus 9 series been optimized in cooperation with Hasselblad, but a new mode has also been added: Tilt Shift. We took a look at what you can do with it.

The V13 is a new Realme phone launched on the Chinese market today. Admittedly, its processor - the MediaTek Dimensity 700 - has been seen before. It is joined by a 90Hz display and a 5000mAh battery in its latest vehicle, which, as rumor has it, might launch in other regions as the Realme 8 5G soon.

Xiaomi has started rolling out MIUI 12.5, its latest OS following last year's MIUI 12. MIUI 12.5 has arrived ahead of schedule, although most devices will not receive it until sometime during the summer.

The Realme GT Neo has launched as the world's first Dimensity 1200-powered phone. This new MediaTek flagship processor has debuted in a chassis with many potential advantages, including an FHD+ AMOLED screen with an up-to-date refresh rate, Wi-Fi 6 and UFS 3.1 storage. It starts at about US$275 for a 6GB RAM version, although a 12GB option is also available for a good price.

The Mi Mix Fold may have many great features on paper, but hands-on shots show that Xiaomi has been unable to overcome the crease that plagued earlier foldable smartphones. Clearly, Xiaomi has some catching up to do before it can match Huawei's Mate X2.

A select handful of mobile device OEMs design their own custom silicon, and Xiaomi has just re-joined these ranks with the new Surge C1. Unlike other first-party chipsets, this one is a new image signal processor designed specifically for the company's new flagship foldable device. It controls a cutting-edge liquid lens, as well as a multi-use sensor.

ZTE has launched its new S30 series of Android phones today (March 30, 2021). Its flagship is the Snapdragon 768G-powered Pro variant, which debuts with a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display that boasts HDR10+ support, 800 nits of brightness and a high-end 144Hz refresh rate. It is joined by the S30 and S30E, which also come with 5G processors.

The Mi Mix Fold is big in every sense of the word. Not only does it have an 8.01-inch display when unfolded, but it also weighs between 317 g and 332 g, depending on which configuration you choose. Additionally, the Mi Mix Fold has a 108 MP camera, a liquid-lens telephoto camera, a new Surge C1 ISP and a 5,020 mAh battery capacity. The Mi Mix Fold costs between CNY 9,999 (~US$1,521) and CNY 12,999 (~US$1,977), too.

Samsung has released a new update for its flagship Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphones. The update is rolling as an over-the-air (OTA) download now and improves the trio's cameras, including enabling the telephoto camera for portrait mode. Previously, the mode was only available for the Galaxy S21 series' primary and ultra-wide-angle cameras.

The FE is a popular and well-priced variant of Samsung's Galaxy S20 range. New leaks suggest that the OEM is not quite done with its release cycle yet, as it now has a 4G/LTE-only version of its Snapdragon 865-powered SKU ready to go. Should they prove true, it might represent a bargain for many consumers.

The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 is scheduled to debut on the Realme GT Neo on March 31. The new chipset by MediaTek appears to be an excellent performer like its predecessors, with benchmarks showing it trading punches with the Snapdragon 870.

OnePlus has contributed to what is already an action-packed day for the mobile device market by releasing its new 9 flagship series in China. It has announced that the 2 phones combined raked in 300 million yuan (nearly US$46 million) in the first 10 seconds of this event. This performance outdoes that of the 8 series this time last year by a considerable margin.

Huawei has almost completed its EMUI 11 rollout after commencing it late last year. Only a few devices should be without EMUI 11 now, except for in India, where Huawei has delayed proceedings by two months.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite and Mi 11 Lite 5G share many similarities, including a 6.81 mm thick chassis and a 6.55-inch AMOLED display. However, the Mi 11 Lite 5G is the star of the show with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G SoC, the successor to last year's Snapdragon 765G.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is here, and it is €100 cheaper than a comparably-equipped Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The Mi 11 Ultra contains Samsung's new ISOCELL GN2 camera too, along with a 5,000 mAh battery and a secondary display, among many other features.

Xiaomi has unveiled a new generation of its wireless charging stand, with a ground-breaking top speed of 80 watts. This new accessory has also been designed to better blend into a user's home through its new design. As if that wasn't enough, the OEM has also cheekily debuted an AirPower-esque, multi-device wireless charging mat.

Xiaomi has confirmed that the Mi 11 Pro will ship with a new Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensor for a main camera. It will also do so in very slim and 2021 retail packaging, as it lacks a charger as standard. Then again, the OEM will offer deals on its new, cutting-edge power accessories to the 11 Pro's Chinese audience.

Helped by key factors like the pandemic shortages and the Huawei bans that shaped the entire smartphone market climate of 2020, MediaTek managed to dethrone Qualcomm and secured its position as world's largest smartphone SoC supplier. The Taiwanese company is expected to maintain this position at least throughout 2021.

Although the full review is not live yet, the final scores are public, and one thing is certain: the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is DxOMark's new king. The overall score of 143 is the result of the following areas: 148 (photo), 100 (zoom), and 117 (video), enough to grab first place from the Huawei Mate 40 Pro+.

Xiaomi has launched a new(-ish) variant of the Mi 11 series at its major international product event of today (March 29, 2021). It has a premium 6.67-inch FHD+ E4 AMOLED display, a 108MP main camera and the Snapdragon 888 processor. Then again, it also packs a 33W charging rate, which matches its mid-range starting price.

Samsung is not expected to announce the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite for a few months yet, but Evan Blass has revealed multiple details about the upcoming budget tablet. Apparently, the Tab A7 Lite will have a MediaTek SoC, a 5,100 mAh battery and a large display.

According to Xiaomi, the Mi 11 Ultra will feature new battery technology and a revolutionary cooling system. Apparently, the so-called phase-change cooling system contains solid, liquid and gas parts to deliver significantly better cooling performance than contemporary Xiaomi smartphones.

Redmi is slated to launch its first dedicated Android gaming phone soon. It is already confirmed to debut with the new MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor; now, it is also tipped to do so with a high-end flat AMOLED screen. The device may also have fast 65W charging, as well as shoulder buttons like those of the RedMagic or Black Shark lines.

According to the cybersecurity specialists Zimperium, a non-Google Play Store app masquerading as a system-update tool found online is in fact Android malware. Once installed on devices via side-loading, it apparently steals information ranging from SMS messages to clipboard data. It may also hijack phone cameras and mics to spy on unsuspecting users.

Recent leaks have pointed to upcoming, possibly more affordable, Samsung slates, one of which could be called the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite on its launch. However, the latest tip suggests that this device might in fact be the Lite version of the Tab S7 Plus instead. It has been touted as being 5G only up until now; however, there may now be scope for a 4G/LTE model as well.

The Xiaomi Mi 11's even more premium versions are slated to launch on March 29, 2021. Of these, the Pro had yet to be spotted in benchmarking leaks - until now. A device with its alleged model number has finally surfaced on Geekbench, possibly confirming 12GB of RAM along with the Snapdragon 888 SoC for this super-flagship Android phone.

Xiaomi is set for a big launch event tomorrow, with the Mi 11 Pro and Mi 11 Ultra to lead a lineup of new tech products from the company. Details of the two flagship devices have now been revealed, with one major talking point being an official IP68 rating—the first-ever on a Xiaomi device.

Owners of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Mi Mix 3, Mi 8 Pro, and Mi 8 Explorer Edition smartphones can test out a version of Android 11 thanks to the team at Paranoid Android. The devs have frequently supported older Xiaomi devices with their custom ROMs, and now Paranoid Android Ruby is available as an initial dev release.

The flagship OnePlus 9 series initially encountered a stumbling block on its launch in the US market: it was not compatible with Verizon's 5G service. However, the new Android phones now have a better shot at attracting those who use this carrier, thanks to a new certification to use its bands, as well as those of its pre-pay subsidiary Visible.

Huawei has confirmed that its HarmonyOS will start to roll out from April 2021. This in-house OS is intended to replace EMUI, which is based on Android, on its mobile devices. This process will start with the Mate X2, the OEM's latest foldable flagship.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has stopped by Geekbench before its announcement on March 29. The flagship smartphone will have Samsung's new ISOCELL GN2 camera, a Snapdragon 888 SoC and a 'Silicon-Oxygen Anode' battery.

The worldwide availability of the innovative "gimbal-cam" Vivo X60 smartphone series looks more certain than ever with its debut in the Indian market. This time, the Snapdragon 870-powered X60 and X60 Pro are accompanied by their true flagship sibling, the Pro Plus. It will be available to order from April 2021 for a price of just under US$1000.

The massively-popular PUBG Mobile has finally crossed the magical 1 billion downloads mark on Android and iOS. The game continues to remain relevant despite being banned in one of the most lucrative markets in the world, India. PUBG Mobile has a successor in the works, too, called PUBG: New State.

The Black Shark 4 series has made a remarkable start, but so has Xiaomi's new Redmi K40 smartphones. According to Xiaomi, the Black Shark 4 series generated CNY 200 million (~US$30.5 million) in sales in its initial five minutes, while the Redmi K40 series has sold over 1 million units in the last month.

Motorola is apparently planning to launch another new budget smartphone with 5G connectivity. Codenamed 'Denver', the device will also have an active stylus, along with a large FHD display and five cameras.

Samsung has announced that sales of the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (or FE) in the Indian market are about to begin. Then again, those wondering why as the OEM has already done so may be interested to know that it means the Snapdragon 865-powered version this time. It will be available from March 30, 2021, although consumers are advised to register their interest in the device now.

The Realme GT Neo is set to launch on March 31, 2021 as the mid-range version of the flagship GT. Then again, according to its latest leaks, it will do so with pretty much all the best aspects of its premium sibling, its 120Hz AMOLED panel and 3.5mm jack included. It will, however, pack the crucial difference of a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC in place of a Snapdragon 888.

The Mi Mix series will be returning to global audiences, according to Xiaomi. The next Mi Mix will launch alongside the Mi 11 Ultra, which will feature a new Silicon-Oxygen Anode battery. Apparently, the new battery technology's increased density will allow smartphones to recharge faster while being thinner than current models.

A benchmark screenshot of a Sony A device featuring an SM4350 processor has led to speculation that this could be a Sony Xperia Compact, possibly the Xperia Ace 2, being tested. The SoC part number correlates to the Snapdragon 480 5G platform, meaning a potential Xperia Compact or Xperia Ace 2 is firmly headed for mid-range smartphone territory.

Motorola has unveiled the Moto G100, its latest premium smartphone. The Moto G100 contains a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, an overclocked Snapdragon 865+, a 5,000 mAh battery and a triple rear-facing camera array, including a 64 MP primary sensor. The Moto G100 costs €499.99 in the Eurozone and £449.99 in the UK.

Motorola's latest mid-range smartphone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC that brings with it 5G connectivity. The Moto G50 features 4 GB of RAM, up to 128 GB of storage and a microSD card reader, but its 720p display is rather underwhelming. The Moto G50's 5,000 mAh battery, on the other hand, should keep it going for a long time on a single charge.

One of HMD Global's upcoming mid-range smartphones has been spotted at the FCC. The Nokia X20 is expected to launch on April 8 with a Snapdragon 480 SoC, and the FCC has seemingly confirmed part of its design. The device is expected to launch with up to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, too.

iQOO's latest phone is the Z3, and has launched with the Snapdragon 768G chipset that, despite its mid-range power, is not often seen in new products. Its new vehicle has a 6.58-inch FHD display that, while it has a 120Hz refresh rate, is also LCD. It starts at just ~US$260 for a 6GB RAM SKU.

Xiaomi's vice-president, Wang Xiang, has reportedly intimated that the global chip-shortage may lead to increased starting prices for this OEM's mobile devices. The executive made comments to this general effect during the company's latest earnings conference call, which also reveals increased revenue and profits for the last quarter of 2020 (4Q2020).

The discovery of a device called the Samsung SM-E5260 on 3C has led to speculation that the OEM is working on a 5G phone called the Galaxy F52. Therefore, it might be part of a series that is normally exclusive to the Indian market. However, there are signs that, as with the F62, it may not be a completely new product.

It is fixed and official: A new Mi Mix smartphone will be joining the burgeoning list of devices that Xiaomi will announce on March 29. The Mi Mix comeback promises to eclipse the release of the Mi 11 Pro and Mi 11 Ultra, with Xiaomi teasing that the next Mi Mix has a new liquid lens camera.