Android

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro flagship smartphone will apparently utilize MIUI 12 firmware to deliver users with a top-notch screen-viewing experience according to a noted leaker. On top of that, it appears the Pro model of the upcoming Mi 11 series will sport some serious camera sensors, with a main lens that could even approach 200 MP.

The latest potential Samsung Galaxy S21 Geekbench 5 scores are out there, and they show the Snapdragon 875 variant may be ahead of what might be this phone's Exynos 2100-powered counterpart. However, according to a famous leaker, this is not the whole story.

Huawei is set to upgrade only 14 devices to EMUI 11, according to a new report. Citing official confirmation from Huawei, it will apparently take the Chinese company until March 2021 before it finishes the rollout. Devices like the Mate 30, Mate 30 Lite and P40 Lite have missed the cut for EMUI 11, too.

Vivo held its Developer Conference today (November 18, 2020). This event was dominated by the introduction of OriginOS, a new UI the OEM has developed in order to replace Funtouch OS on its smartphones. With its adaptive, dynamic widgets, "behavioral" wallpapers and Multi-Turbo 5.0 engine, it may be a vast improvement over its predecessor.

Sony may have paired the Xperia 10 III with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 690 chipset, according to a new leak. The Japanese company appears to have a Snapdragon 875-powered handset in development too, which could be the Xperia 1 III.

While still distributing the Android 11 update to the Mi 10 series, it seems Xiaomi has already set its sights towards the popular, mid-range Snapdragon 720G-powered branch of the Redmi Note 9 family. Yes, it appears that the Redmi Note 9 Pro is now receiving Android 11. In India, at least.

Huawei has sold its low-cost subsidiary Honor to a Chinese consortium. The former parent company has emphasised that US sanctions forced it to sell Honor, and the sale was more about the survival of the Honor brand than providing Huawei with needed cash flow.

A week ago, Xiaomi rolled out the MIUI 12.2.2.0.RJBCNXM update for the Mi 10 flagship, but pulled it back shortly after, most likely due to bugs. Now, the Android 11-based firmware is finally back on track and this time everything seems all right. The update sports camera VLOG and AI watermark, as well as the usual Android 11 changes.

A leak pointing to a new Samsung smartphone battery with a 5830mAh battery may also imply the imminent launch of a device called the Galaxy M42. This putative phone is rumored to have a 64MP primary camera, and may be available in India soon.

Lemfo produces many unusual smartwatches, but it has outdone itself with the LEM14. Not only does the smartwatch feature built-in GPS and LTE, but it features two cameras for video calls and capturing general photos on the go. The Lemfo LEM14 has a 1.69-inch display and a 1,600 mAh battery, too.

The CarDroid is a mini-PC that promises to replace Android Auto with fully-fledged Android 9.0 Pie. The mini-PC comes with either a quad or octa-core processor, along with up to 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of flash storage. The device has generated over US$150,000 in crowdfunding on Indiegogo, while the manufacturer aims to begin shipping from next month.

Xiaomi has issued new MIUI 12 updates to several devices, including the Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 9S, Mi 8 and Mi 8 Pro. The updates bring the global and Russian branches of the devices onto MIUI 12, which remains Xiaomi's latest OS.

Belkin's new BOOSTCHARGE TrueFreedom PRO Wireless Charger is a mat-style accessory rated to handle the demands of 2 Qi-compatible mobile devices thrown on it any old how. Therefore, it might solve the traditional problem of getting cable-less power to stay on without absolute precision in lining up contacts. Therefore, it may suit newer Android phones as well as iPhones up to the 11 series with ease.

The Montblanc Summit Lite will be mighty expensive, going off the US$1,000 asking price of the Summit 2. However, the Google Play Console has confirmed that Montblanc will sell the smartwatch with either a Snapdragon Wear 2100 or a Wear 3100 chipset, which are now over four years old.

Xiaomi has its eyes trained on releasing yet more smartphones under the Redmi Note 9 - this time two editions of the Redmi Note 9 5G. Apparently, Xiaomi will unveil the Dimensity 800U and Snapdragon 750G-backed handsets on November 24 in China. However, the two models will receive a global launch as the Redmi Note 9T and Redmi Note 9T Pro, respectively.

Poco will launch the Poco M3 globally on November 24. Its Geekbench listing indicates that it will run a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC and come with 4GB of RAM. It appears to be identical to the Redmi 10, which surfaced a few days ago.

Oppo has unveiled its Oppo X 2021 rollable OLED display smartphone. The concept device takes a different approach to the smartphone-tablet hybrid foldable OLED designs we have seen from Huawei and Samsung. The end result, however, is similar as it delivers a device that is both a smartphone and tablet in one.

Google has unveiled a new colour option for the Pixel 4a. Called Barely Blue, the colour will be a limited edition variant only available in the US and Japan.

The Nord is OnePlus' much-hyped contender in the 2020 upper-mid-range smartphone market. Now, a new report claims that it will get a second generation. It might run on a new Snapdragon 5G processor, have a high-refresh-rate display and run Android 11 out of the box.

The gaming phone brand RedMagic will release its latest TWS earbuds, the CyberPods, globally in November 2020. These accessories' design is an original take on the AirPod-clone form-factor that might complement its maker's flagship devices. They are not ANC, but claim extreme low latency and a Gamer Mode instead.

A new leak has offered more details on the Mi 11 Pro, Xiaomi's first flagship smartphone of 2021. The Mi 11 Pro will a few display upgrades from the Mi 10 Pro, including a 1440p (QHD) resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The punch-hole and curved finish of this year's model will remain, though.

The Samsung Galaxy M12 may be an interesting budget phone on its launch, especially if it comes with the 7,000mAh battery apparently destined for it. A new leak purports to show what it looks like from all angles, including an Infinity-V display and square module for its quad rear cameras.

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.