Android

The Xiaomi Mi A3 has received another update, this time on Xiaomi's EEA branch. V12.0.5.0.RFQEUXM is another security patch update for the Android One handset, but it addresses 38 high or critical CVEs that Google has identified. V12.0.5.0.RFQEUXM is rolling out now as an OTA download.

In an interview with News18, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the OnePlus 9R, an "affordable" gaming smartphone, will launch in India alongside the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. Lau stated that the 9R will be similar to the OnePlus Nord in terms of pricing but will aim to bring a flagship-level experience, particularly with regards to gaming, without breaking the bank.

An affordable entry into Samsung's Galaxy? While that sounds good, the Galaxy A02s cut some corners in many places - in so many that it is hardly acceptable anymore.

Xiaomi's Black Shark premium gaming brand has announced that its new, Snapdragon 888-powered flagship is to launch on March 23, 2021 in China. The 4 is slated to have improved, "360-degree, 3D" cooling, triple rear cameras and the shoulder buttons from its 3 Pro forebear. The 2 phones are also likely to have very different designs.

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 may be one of the most powerful smartphones on the market, but it is also one of the weakest. Unfortunately for ASUS, its latest gaming smartphone does not hold up to the rigours of a JerryRigEverything durability test.

Motorola is now said to have a phone with the new 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor on-board. Furthermore, the device is rumored to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732 SoC and up to 6GB of RAM, which might bring the high-end camera spec to a very affordable tier in the near future. It might launch in India soon.

Realme has officially announced that its first phone with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 flagship processor will be the GT Neo, and that it will debut at the end of March 2021. The OEM has yet to tease any more of its specs, although it is possible it will launch with a curved screen and a 4,400mAh battery.

OxygenOS (OOS) is OnePlus' well-received Android-based ROM for the global units of its phones. It has a Chinese-market counterpart called HydrogenOS (H2OS). However, the OEM has reportedly informed its users that it is to be discontinued in favor of OPPO’s ColorOS instead.

New rumours about a future Google Pixel smartphone are mounting. Now, Google has added support for an under-display fingerprint scanner in the latest Android 12 developer preview, signalling that the company may be on the verge of utilising the technology in a new smartphone. The inclusion of support for the feature may impact future AOSP builds and custom ROMs, too.

Renowned leaker Even Blass has posted Samsung's product release schedule for 2021. It says that new Chromebooks and Galaxybooks are slated to be launched in April, followed by the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite in June, the Galaxy A82 in July and finally, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE in August.

Motorola has introduced a new PC-like desktop environment for its Moto Edge Plus flagship smartphone. The functionality dubbed ‘Ready For’ gives users the ability to plug in their smartphone to a keyboard, mouse and display similar to Samsung’s DeX environment.

Unleashed for both desktop and mobile users, Vivaldi 3.7 comes with native support for Apple M1 processors and noticeable speed improvements (Windows/Linux/macOS), as well as easier bookmarking of websites and a friendly Welcome page alongside various other interface enhancements (Android).

It is already known that Samsung plans to release new smartwatches this year, such as fourth-generation models of the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active. Now, a major component of what may be the Galaxy Watch 4 or the Galaxy Watch Active 4 has been spotted in China at the 3C.

OnePlus has already revealed that DisplayMate has awarded the OnePlus 9 Pro's display an A+, the highest rating that the company bestows. OnePlus has teased that the OnePlus 9 Pro has an LTPO display too, which it calls Fluid Display 2.0.

The Redmi Smart TV X50, X55 and X65 have been unleashed onto the Indian market. Their 4K LED panels are enhanced with MEMC, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. The series also features dual 15W speakers, and will start at INR 32,999 (~US$455) on their March 26, 2021 release.

Google has announced that it is reducing the cut of revenue made on apps sold via the Play Store from 30% to 15%. The change applies to all developers who make US$1 million or less per year on the platform. According to the Mountain View giant, this move is intended to help Android app-makers grow at critical stages of their enterprises.

It seems that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro will follow the Mi 11 Ultra's footsteps and include a secondary screen next to its rear cameras. This could theoretically help users take selfies using the objectively more powerful rear camera modules, but the small screen is less than ideal as a viewfinder.

The S888 smartwatch supports 4G, GPS and runs Android 7.0 Nougat. The device is also IP65 rated, has a 1.88-inch touchscreen and has 32 GB of storage.

A foldable Mi Mix smartphone remains a hot topic, not least because photos of an alleged prototype have appeared online. Specifications for a Xiaomi ODIN have been published too, apparently having been seen in MIUI code. Some of its specifications include a 120 Hz AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 888 SoC and what may be an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Leaker Ishan Agarwal has managed to get his hands on the specifications of the eagerly anticipated OnePlus Watch. The device looks set to compete with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch range with features including blood oxygen level monitoring and sleep monitoring.

Despite numerous rumors that Samsung could be set to axe the Galaxy Note line in 2021, the company has said that the Galaxy Note will live on. However, due to the global semiconductor shortage due to unprecedented demand for electronic goods in response to the pandemic, Samsung appears poised to skip the Galaxy Note in this year.

Realme's newest performance-oriented smartphone, the Realme GT, may not be quite as impressive as thought. Earning an AnTuTu score that shows a tangible performance advantage over other Snapdragon 888-powered flagships, it appears the Realme GT only manages to hit such numbers via unscrupulous means.

Google has released a revamped version of its Nest Hub. The device, while looking quite similar on the surface includes a number of enhancements including the ability to monitor sleep.

A demo booth has revealed some details about the Mi 11 Lite, which Xiaomi is expected to announce in 4G and 5G versions within the next few months. The Mi 11 Lite 4G will have Qualcomm's Snapdragon 732G SoC, but both models should have 10-bit and 90 Hz OLED displays.

An Xperia PRO teardown video has confirmed that the US$2,500 smartphone is more than just an Xperia 1 II with an HDMI port. Not only has Sony included mmWave antennas, but it has included a huge vapour chamber cooling solution to account for its plastic body. In fact, the cooling solution is larger than equivalents found in modern gaming smartphones.

The POCO X3 Pro will make its debut on March 22, POCO Global has confirmed. According to leaked marketing renders, the POCO X3 Pro will resemble last year's POCO X3 NFC. However, POCO is making its Indian fans wait until March 30 before announcing the POCO X3 Pro.

RedMagic has confirmed that its latest 6 and 6 Pro Android gaming flagship phones are to be released globally, bringing their new 165Hz AMOLED displays and Snapdragon 888 processors with them. However, it seems that the 6 Pro may not pack the ultra-fast 120W charging system it had when launched in China.

The hotly-anticipated OnePlus 9 series is still days from launch at this point (March 15, 2021). However, an electronics leaker claims that some consumers in Europe may be able to buy it early, albeit in blind box form. It apparently has a set price, although its contents can only be guessed at.

The Xiaomi Mi A3 is now receiving a new update. The OTA delivers the March security update and manages not to include any bugs—a thankful achievement considering Xiaomi's track record with Android One updates. It's also being sent out globally at the moment.

The Samsung Galaxy A32 is one of the few 5G smartphones that uses a flicker-free LC display. This might have some drawbacks, but it's also a concession made to customers who have problems with OLEDs.

It turns out that Nokia's upcoming 'gaming smartphone' is little more than a budget device. The Nokia G10 will feature a 6.3-inch FHD+ screen, up to 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, four rear cameras and a 5,000mAh battery. It is expected to cost around EUR 139 (US$165) at launch.

The Mi 10 Lite started at €349 last year, and there are indications that its successor may launch for the same price. The Mi 11 Lite 5G should be joined by a 4G model too, which would probably be even cheaper.

Last week, Xiaomi released the Mi 10S, albeit only in China. The device's appearance on the Google Play Console implies that an international release is impending, though. However, the listing suggests that Xiaomi has given the international version an SoC upgrade over the Snapdragon 870 that it has included in the Chinese model.

Industry insiders suggest that Honor is working on a flagship smartphone powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. It could be the Honor 40, and it is expected to arrive in July. However, the global Snapdragon 888 shortage could be hinder Honor's plans.

The list of Android flagship phones with the latest Snapdragon 888 SoC is slowly yet steadily growing, although not all of them are available globally. New leaks suggest the Vivo X60 Pro Plus, one such premium device launched in partnership with Zeiss, will make it to international shores soon.

OnePlus will replace the 8T as its newest flagship soon. However, the OEM has news for those who would prefer to stick with the phone: it is now part of the Open Beta project at the company. This channel of new Android updates might unlock access to new features before they hit the "normal" stable versions.

A blog has posted new renders of what is claimed to be the rumored Moto G100, quite possibly the 2021 flagship of this well-known smartphone series. Should this be the case, it looks exactly like the Edge S that has been released to the Chinese market. Therefore, the phones could share a high-end Snapdragon 870 chipset and 64MP quad rear cameras.

Samsung has started distributing One UI 3.1 to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. The Android 11-based update introduces several features to the mid-range tablet, including Samsung DeX.

OnePlus’ upcoming top-end smartphone is now known to have new rear cameras tuned by Hasselblad. A new tip asserts the OEM has not forgotten the rest of its premium aspects either: its wireless charging is allegedly boosted all the way to 50 watts (W). This would be a considerable improvement over the 30W spec in the 8 Pro.

Wear OS might be a no-brainer for consumers choosing a smartwatch to go with their Android phone - or rather, it should be. The wearables platform still has many potentially frustrating limitations, one of which is the inability to set tiles for non-Google or OEM apps. However, the Mountain View giant has announced a solution for this issue is now in alpha.

Realme's latest flagship is the GT 5G, a phone geared toward performance, speed and those who like the option of vegan leather finishes. The OEM has announced that its first open sale netted the company 100 million yuan (~US$15 million) within the first 10 seconds of its first open sale. Meanwhile, its upcoming Neo variant may have leaked with a curved display.

The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro powered by the Snapdragon 888 have been spotted on the Geekbench benchmarking site with scores in line with what can be expected from Qualcomm's flagship SoC. The OnePlus 9 series will officially launch on March 23 and will feature camera tech made in collaboration with Hasselblad.

OPPO has just launched its "conventional" Android flagship phones for 2021. However, the prolific leaker Digital Chat Station now asserts it has something much more "interesting" to debut in this year's impending second quarter (2Q2021). This, apparently, will be its first-gen foldable-display phone.

Google's ARCore has added a new device called the ZenFone 8 Flip to its certification database. Therefore, it seems a new generation of Asus' innovative swivel-cam flagship Android phones is on the way. It is thought to be accompanied by a Mini variant, although that one has failed to materialize in this new leak.

The Oppo Find X3 Lite is entering the highly competitive mid-range. This means that a good configuration is a must. The manufacturer is also aware of that and equips its 6.43-inch device with the Snapdragon 765G, a 90 Hz OLED panel, and a 65-watt power adapter.