Android

A new report says that Nokia will reportedly launch the Nokia 9.3 PureView, Nokia 7.3 5G and Nokia 6.3 before 2020 ends. All three devices were due to be released earlier in the year, but the date got pushed back consistently.

The design of the OnePlus 9 has leaked, four months before its expected release in March 2021. The OnePlus 9 will have a 120 Hz and flat display, according to the same leak, along with a 5,000 mAh battery. A variant of the device has debuted on Geekbench too with a Snapdragon 875 and 8 GB of RAM.

OnePlus has finalised the model numbers of the OnePlus 9 series, but there will be no OnePlus 9 Ultra. Instead, OnePlus will be releasing just the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series might be the last of its kind, as Samsung is yet to start working on its successor, according to a well-renowned industry insider. The Samsung Galaxy Note 21 series is also absent from Samsung's list of 2021 flagships, suggesting that the company may have other plans for us, presumably a foldable device.

The Pixel 4a 5G is a cheaper alternative to the flagship Pixel 5. However, both smartphones feature the same SoC and the same dual-camera system.

About two years ago, inexpensive phones landed in our reviews, some of which were already having trouble running their operating systems smoothly. Those times are definitely over now.

The processors that power our phones have become so powerful that they are now designed with the kind of cooling historically only expected from high-end PCs. This involves heatsinks, thermal paste and even vapor-chambers on a mobile scale these days - to such an extent there are now signs that insulation might also start to play a role in next-gen phones.

Xiaomi has announced that Redmi Note 8 Pro devices operating on the China MIUI 12 ROM will start receiving a new beta stable update of the Android overlay via OTA. For the moment, only random users of the Redmi Note 8 Pro will get the new MIUI 12 update, which brings the October 2020 security patch with it.

It can hardly be more affordable than a Redmi 9A. However, you have to accept some compromises when purchasing the low-budget smartphone. Perhaps too many compared to the Redmi 9 or Redmi Note 9 sibling models …

A Xiaomi poll has revealed the disconcerting state of affairs in regard to Redmi Note 8 users waiting for the MIUI 12 Global stable ROM V12.0.1.0.QCOMIXM. While issues with receiving the update OTA have already been detailed, it appears over 84% of Redmi Note 8 owners who responded to the poll have been unsuccessful in installing the firmware.

The Realme X7 and X7 Pro are phones based on 5G MediaTek Dimensity chipsets that aren't often seen in international markets. However, this may change soon as their release to the Indian market has just been announced. Unfortunately, this will not take place until 2021.

Samsung’s Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been spotted with a previously unseen Samsung smartphone. It is speculated that the device is a prototype of the Korean giant’s forthcoming rollable smartphone. Its appearance suggests an official launch for sometime in 2021.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series is probably not too far from launch at this point. The latest tip on this subject contains a near-complete specs leak for its 3 putative variants. However, it also offers interesting new details, such as that the vanilla model will not have a premium glass back for the first time. The phones' new colorways are also named in this new report.

The Nokia 2.4 is a new phone with a 6.5-inch HD+ display and dual rear cameras starting at about US$141. However, its maker has yet to bring this potentiallly attractive budget prospect to the Indian market. Now, however, there are claims that this might be addressed by the end of November 2020.

Realme launched the V5, which started at around US$212, as a Chinese-market exclusive earlier in the year. Now, however, it appears to have been approved for sale in Thailand, suggesting that this 6.5-inch 90Hz display device may start to become available in other regions soon.

Xiaomi has seeded a new Beta Stable update for the Redmi Note 9 Pro, this time in Europe. V12.0.1.0.QJZEUXM will be available as an OTA for the device and brings all variants of the Redmi Note 9 Pro onto MIUI 12. The global MIUI 12 upgrade for all Redmi Note 8 handsets will be ready next month, according to Xiaomi.

The Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Pro is available to order globally. The 8K streaming box costs US$78.99 and comes with a remote, along with USB Type-A and HDMI 2.1 connectivity.

A new Redmi smartphone has been showing off its design in some TENAA-listed images. The device, which is possibly going to be a Redmi 10 but could also be a Redmi Note 10, apparently comes with a Snapdragon 662 SoC, LED screen, quad-camera setup, and a jumbo 5,900-mAh battery that is a novelty for a smartphone from Xiaomi.

One UI 2.5 has arrived on more versions of the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus and Note 9. Following the arrival of the OS update for unlocked handsets last month, One UI 2.5 has now reached the T-Mobile and Verizon locked editions of the three devices in the US. One UI 2.5 for the three carrier-versions also includes the October 2020 security patch update, but the November 2020 set has already hit the Note 9 in Germany.

MIUI may be one of the most popular custom versions of Android, but it does contain adverts. Other custom Android skins are no different, but few OEMs actively teach their fans how to switch them off. Xiaomi is doing so in China, though.

The Redmi Note 9 Pro will have received MIUI 12 globally before the end of the month, Xiaomi has confirmed. Many global and European handsets remain on MIUI 11, although all other variants should have already received MIUI 12.

A few days after the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 lineup in the wild has started to receive this month's security patch, the Verizon units have begun to receive the new firmware as well. The November 2020 patch fixes five critical vulnerabilities alongside 29 high-level ones and no less than 31 moderate threats.

Xiaomi's Mi Mix series has typically provided some of the most impressive smartphone designs, but the company doesn't appear set to offer a Mi Mix 4 anytime soon. Samsung may be about to ride to the rescue, however, as the South Korean company has filed a patent for a rather...interesting smartphone design.

Motorola launched a Moto G-series phone with an in-built pen for the first time earlier in 2020. Now, it seems its successor will have more real estate for its special feature. It may also have a Snapdragon 675 processor, a quad rear camera and software based on Android 10 out of the box.

A new leak points to an upcoming Xiaomi phone with what is most likely the Snapdragon 662 processor. It is thought to be the Redmi Note 10 - the 4G/LTE version, that is. Meanwhile, it is rumored to get 5G variants with much newer SoCs and possibly higher-end specs.

After beating Apple in the US in terms of smartphone sales after many years, Samsung also managed to grab the leading place in India. Now, we find out in a new report that five devices out of the top ten best-selling smartphones worldwide are made by Samsung. In the third quarter, Samsung shipped over 10 million Galaxy A21s handsets.

One of the most useful features added by OPPO to the ColorOS 11 firmware protects the handset's battery by pausing the night charging process at 80 percent and restarting in time for the user to wake up with a fully charged smartphone. Sony introduced the same feature as Qnovo Battery Care back in 2016.

Recent leaks have pointed to the existence of upcoming phones called the Redmi Note 9 5G and 9 Pro 5G. Now, a Weibo tipster asserts that this new series will start at 1000 yuan on its Chinese launch. The Pro variant, on the other hand, might cost 1500 yuan. This means the devices are now rumored to start at well below US$200.

Google is ending its free unlimited photo storage on Google Photos. The change will take effect from June 1, 2021, and will affect all but owners of Pixel smartphones. From that date, Google will count all photos backed up to Google Photos against a 15 GB data limit.

OnePlus may now sell three Nord-branded smartphones, but the company will not afford the same software support for all models. Two will receive just one OS update, and they arguably should have been released on Android 11 anyway.

A tech blog claims to have learned from "exclusive" sources that Samsung is working on a next-gen budget Galaxy M-series phone with a battery rated for an impressive 7000mAh in capacity. This "M12" is also apparently destined for a 6.7-inch display with a punch-hole selfie camera. These claims may be backed up by new images of a rear panel for this putative device.

A hands-on image of two new flagship smartphones has been posted online, but some people have mistaken them for the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Pro. Sadly for Xiaomi fans, the image is actually of the Vivo X60 series, not Xiaomi's 2021-bound flagships.

The OnePlus 5 has received a fixed OxygenOS 10 update, six months on from the disaster that was OxygenOS 10.0.0. OxygenOS 10.0.1 promises to fix the call recording, de-activated alarm and EIS issues that were present on the original Android 10 update, among other changes. OnePlus states that OxygenOS 10.0.1 will arrive on the OnePlus 5T too, although it has not said when.

Honor has introduced a phone called the 10X Lite to the European market. With its 6.67-inch FHD+ display, Kirin 710A SoC, 4GB of RAM and 5000 mAh battery, it is distinctly pitched at the low- to mid-tier market in this region. Its normal price is €265 (~US$311), although this has been reduced to €229.90 (~$270) as one of the brand's new 2020 holiday deals.

The US government has granted Qualcomm a licence to trade with Huawei, allowing the chipmaker to supply hardware to the sanction-stricken Chinese company. The timing of the news aligns perfectly for Huawei and its P50 series, according to a new report.

The Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise 2-in-1 is one of, if not the, best Chromebooks we have ever tested. However, for ~$1580 and up, it is far too expensive for a Chromebook.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S has received a new MIUI 12 update, this time in Europe. V12.0.2.0.QJWEUXM replaces V12.0.2.0.QJWEUXM and is available as an OTA upgrade.

Huawei has started rolling out EMUI 11 to 10 devices, including to the Mate 30 Pro, P40 Pro and MatePad Pro. The Mate 30 Pro 5G is seemingly the first device to receive EMUI 11 outside of China, but Huawei also plans to have HarmonyOS beta builds ready for next month.

The release of the Galaxy S21 series isn't that far off any more and more information has surfaced about the line-leading Galaxy S21 Ultra. Notable takeaways include faster charging than the Note 20 Ultra, a new 108 MP camera, and much-awaited display improvements.

Samsung appears to be prepping a successor to the Galaxy A51 5G. Predictably called the Galaxy A52 5G, the device seemingly features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset and 6 GB of RAM.

LG's Android 11 testing is underway, according to Max Weinbach. Reputedly undergoing development on the V60 ThinQ, LG UX 10.0 will probably arrive in 2021 for most LG smartphones.

The Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8T have received new MIUI 12 updates, bringing more variants onto Xiaomi's latest OS. The two updates are also based on Android 10 and are rolling out on the Indian and Russian branches of MIUI, respectively.

A well-known Weibo leaker now claims that OPPO - an OEM mostly known for its smartphones and wearables - is planning to also move into the tablet space. Similarly, it is also now said to start making its own laptops, much as Xiaomi and Huawei do now. Examples of these new product categories for the company might emerge as soon as 2021.

Expected to feature the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor as the Reno 4, the upcoming OPPO Reno 5 will sport a 6.43-inch Full HD+ OLED screen with 60 Hz refresh, a 32 MP front camera, a 64 MP main camera (quad sensors), and a 4,300 mAh battery with 65 W fast charging capabilities. The price and release date are not even in the rumor mill yet.