Android

There have been rumors of an upcoming Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro+ and new information appears to have given the first solid clue as to when the phone will be released. Supposedly, the phone will be launched next month and will be placed and priced above the Mi 10 Pro.

Corning’s next-generation Gorilla Glass for premium smartphones, tablets and laptops is official. The sequel to Gorilla Glass 6 is called Gorilla Glass Victus and brings combines the best features of Gorilla Glass 6 and Gorilla Glass 5.

HMD Global is set to launch a bunch of smartphones in the coming months. Of the lot, the Nokia 2.4, Nokia 6.3, Nokia 7.3, and Nokia 8.3 have all been spotted on certification websites, with the first three likely slated to be launched in the US and Canada.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3 looks like it will pack a few new tricks up its sleeve. Based on an examination of the new plugin software users will be able to use new gestures and movements to answer and reject phones.

The Mi 9T has received several MIUI 12 updates as it was one of the first phones to get a taste of MIUI 12. Owners of the phone in some regions will now have to wait a while for their next update, however, as Xiaomi has temporarily halted the MIUI 12 rollout for the phone.

WinFuture's Roland Quandt was the first tipster to assert that Samsung had developed a new, kidney-bean-like form-factor for its next-gen TWS earbuds. Now, this seems to have been borne out in increasingly convincing leaks since. Now, the same blogger is back with a more complete gamut of specs for these Galaxy Buds Live.

Realme has been hyping a new line of smartphones that it may launch at IFA 2020 Special Edition. An executive from this brand has now confirmed that it is to be called the V series, and that the V5 will be its inaugural release. This phone will have a rectangular rear camera, the main sensor of which is thought to be 48MP in resolution.

Samsung's Galaxy A41 made its debut not so long ago; however, that has not stopped rumors about its successor springing up already. According to one leak, it is to get variants with a 5G-capable SoC. Another states that it may have a battery of less than 5,000mAh in rated capacity.

OnePlus may be working on a OnePlus 8T and 8T Pro mid-year refresh. The first clues for this come from a code snippet pertaining to the latest version of the OnePlus Camera app, which includes references to a 64 MP shooting mode. The code indicates that the 64 MP mode can capture highly detailed shots in well-lit scenes.

The volume of sales completed in the US smartphone market fell by 25% year-on-year (YoY) in 2020's second quarter (2Q2020). This was attributed to the effect of Covid-19-related lockdowns, and on a tendency to buy phones through carriers in the country. All major OEMs in this space saw reductions in their sales, with Samsung seeing the least adversity in this respect.

A new report indicates that MediaTek is gearing up to release a new top-end processor in the second quarter of 2021 (2Q2021) that, based on its alleged name, would be a direct successor to the Dimensity 1000 chipset. It is also expected to boast ARM Cortex-A78 cores, and to be an upgrade in terms of its footprint and architecture.

The Poco F2 Pro is now receiving the official MIUI 12 update around the world. It's the global stable update and is rolling out to owners across Europe and Indonesia, with a specific build for Russian users. The Mi Note 10 is now also receiving the MIUI 12 update in China.

More details have spilled about the next-gen Oculus Quest including some images of the headset in the wild, confirming the leak earlier this week was legit. VR fans will be interested to learn that it is tipped to launch on September 15 and will come with design improvements among other tweaks.

It's back to its roots for OnePlus with the Nord: It should be a budget upper-class smartphone that makes high-end features affordable. We describe our first impression of the device here.

Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, has announced that it is also stepping into the virtual private network (VPN) arena. This new product apparently has over 280 servers in over 30 different countries, and has a no-logging or -tracking policy. However, it will be available in only 6 countries on its launch.

With the Black Shark 3, Xiaomi has released a gaming phone that offers a convincing level of performance. If only it were able to last a little longer...

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro has received another update in India, but the device remains on Android 9.0 Pie and MIUI 11. In comparison, some Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7S handsets have already been upgraded to Android 10 and MIUI 12. The degree of software support for the Redmi Note 7 Pro is in contrast to the Mi 9, which has now finished its upgrade to MIUI 12 across all regions.

The LG V60 ThinQ has impressive hardware on paper, including a 6.8-inch OLED panel and a Snapdragon 865 SoC. However, its 64 MP primary camera sensor has been found wanting, with noisy images and a general lack of detail a theme of LG's US$800 smartphone.

The reliable tipster Digital Chat Station claims that Nubia has a refresh of its Red Magic gaming phone flagship in the works. Called the 5S, it will apparently be capable of GPU overclocking. This means that, even though it is slated to run on the Snapdragon 865, the user can make its Adreno 650 exceed standard clock speeds by an appreciable margin.

Oppo has released an animated trailer for a Wear OS device that will reportedly launch worldwide on July 31, 2020. It is most likely for its first-gen smartwatch, which has been released in China but runs a variant of ColorOS in that region. This device is Apple-esque in its design and has a Qualcomm processor for wearables.

MIUI 12 has made its debut on the Mi 9 SE, Xiaomi's diminutive mid-range smartphone. The update is rolling out to handsets now amid claims that the Pocophone F1 could be the next device to receive Xiaomi's new OS upgrade following the recent rollout to the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

The Galaxy M31 is affordable and offers a large battery as well as a bright display. We took a closer look at the device and summarize our test results for you here.

EMUI 10.1 may have introduced multiple features to Huawei's roster of devices, but there are reports of the OS update removing some functionality too. According to frustrated users, EMUI 10.1 has removed call recording and camera resolution options, although not all devices are affected.

The OnePlus Nord is yet to start retailing in stores but has already received a couple of updates that improve camera functionality and bring the phone up to date with the latest Google Android security patches. Also, the Nord along with the OnePlus 8 series will be getting dual 4G+5G SIM support in a future OTA update.

The Realme X50 5G is finally available for purchase outside of China, but only in Thailand. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC, 6.5-inch 120Hz screen, 4,200mAh battery, and a slightly different camera configuration compared to the Chinese version. The phone costs 12,990 THB (US$410) for the base variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The Microsoft Surface Duo has passed through the Bluetooth SIG and FCC, signalling its imminent release. The dual-screen device would be Microsoft's first smartphone since the Lumia 650, which the company released over four years ago. However, the Surface Duo appears to be running on last-gen hardware.

Xiaomi has announced that the MIUI 12 beta global stable update has started being pushed out for owners of the flagship Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro smartphone. The software, which is version V12.0.1.0.QJAMIXM, will allow randomly chosen Mi 10 Pro users to access the full delights of MIUI 12, including Super Wallpapers.

Details about a new mid-range LG smartphone have leaked. The device, called the LG Q92, has 6 GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 765G processor and 5G connectivity. The LG Q92 is thought to clock in at around 6-inches, with LG opting for a punch-hole display instead of the notch that it used in the Velvet.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 is launching next month, with the 60 Hz device to set to be launched alongside the Note 20 Ultra on August 5. While the Note 20 Ultra is the more feature-packed of the two devices, the Galaxy Note 20 will have an exclusive colour. It may not be to everyone's tastes, though.

Realme has released yet another mid-range smartphone for the Indian market. The Realme 6i comes with a 6.5-inch FHD screen clocked at 90Hz, a MediaTek Helio G90T SoC, a quad-camera array at the back, and a 4,300mAh that supports fast charging for 30W. All of this can be had for as little as INR 12,999 (US$173) starting July 31 on Flipkart and Realme's website.

The launch of the new OnePlus Buds means Xiaomi has to up its game in the TWS segment and it's done so spectacularly with the Haylou T16 TWS earbuds that offer active noise cancellation, 6 hours of playback, and wireless charging just for US$40.

In the latest Galaxy Tab S7 leak, it appears the Korean company could be taking one step forward and two steps backwards with its latest slate. While the panel might now sport a 120 Hz refresh rate to match the iPad Pro ‘Pro Motion’ tech, it looks like it will step back to a cheaper LCD panel to deliver the new feature.

A device called the "Google Pixel 4a" has appeared on Geekbench 5 for the first time since January 2020. It contains a code-name repeatedly linked to the device, as well as plausible specs for the device. They include 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 7-series processor.

Asus has announced the much awaited ROG Phone 3 flagship gaming smartphone that comes with a host of new features targeted at serious mobile gamers. The ROG Phone 3 sports a 144 Hz AMOLED HDR10 display with a 25 ms latency, a Snapdragon 865+ SoC, and comes with up to 16 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. Asus is also offering a bevy of accessories and also a three-month trial of Google Stadia Pro in applicable countries.

It’s a combination of the Redmi 10X, 10X Pro, and OPPO Reno3 5G with MediaTek Dimensity chips that rule the roost in AnTuTu’s midrange smartphone performance chart for the first half of this year. The Kirin 985 processor has made a decent showing in the table too, but it seems the midrange market in terms of performance is currently MediaTek’s domain.

The sequel to the Oculus Quest has leaked on Twitter. The revised VR headset looks to have addressed some of the ergonomic issues of the first gen model based on its appearance, but we can only speculate on which Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset powers it.

After the AMD version, Xiaomi has now also introduced an Intel version of the RedmiBook 16, which comes into stores with current 10th generation core chips and a GeForce MX350 for the equivalent of 633 Euros (~$733)

The Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9S are two sides of a coin, and both phones are currently receiving new updates in different regions. Sadly, the updates don't bring MIUI 12 as most owners would expect, but there's official confirmation that a rollout isn't far off.

AnTuTu has published its flagship smartphone performance chart covering the first half of 2020, and it is the OPPO Find X2 Pro and Find X2 devices that claim the top two spots. Every phone in the top 10 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC and the only non-Chinese device is the Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G in 10th place.

Specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra have leaked in full and they indicate that these will be the first smartphones to support Microsoft's Project xCloud game streaming service. European variants of the Note 20 series are expected to still sport the Exynos 990 SoC. Looking at the specs, it seems as if Samsung has cut a lot of corners with the Note 20 including using just a 60 Hz display and a plastic back.

The mysterious Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra smartphone has turned up again, this time in a series of images from the TENAA agency. The phone, which is possibly codenamed “cezanne” and also once rumored to be a Redmi K40 device, still hasn’t been officially named by Xiaomi. The Redmi K30 Ultra may feature a MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset.

MediaTek has released a new 5G-ready SoC called the Dimensity 720. It consists of two Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.0GHz, six Cortex-A55 cores and an ARM Mali-G57 GPU. The chip supports two carrier aggregation and sub-6GHz 5G networks. We can expect to see it debut alongside some mid-rangers later this year.

Lenovo has announced its first gaming phone, which is now officially the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel. It is powered by the refreshed Snapdragon 865+ (or Plus) SoC, and has 12 or 16GB of RAM. It is also now confirmed to have the unique landscape-oriented pop-up rear camera set-up shown in numerous leaks, and has a 64MP dual main camera.

Huawei's latest flagship caters to the preferences of photography enthusiasts. With a 5-lens camera setup, the P40 Pro Plus not only surpasses the P40 Pro, which is a great device by itself, but it also comes with twice the zoom capabilities for an up to 100x digital zoom.

Samsung had let it be known that 5 devices would be unveiled at its August 5, 2020 Galaxy Unpacked event. The OEM's fans may have expected the Galaxy Z Flip 5G to be one of them. However, the Korean giant has now introduced this device. It seems to be a Snapdragon 865 Plus refresh of the original foldable clamshell.

Xiaomi has released a new update to the Mi A3, its third OS update in under two weeks. While the new build supposedly improves system stability and reduces lag, some people are unhappy with how Xiaomi's apparent inability to address outstanding bugs.

The latest figures on the Indian hearables (or personal audio accessories with smart features) market show that Realme has rocketed into its top 5 brands. This success is particularly impressive as it only started selling products in this category in December 2019. Nevertheless, it now has more of a share than Sony or Xiaomi in that market.

Samsung is readying the Galaxy M31s, the successor to the Galaxy M31. The mid-range smartphone is launching before the end of the month and will feature Samsung's Infinity-O display.

The Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition is a cheaper alternative for those with their sights on the Mi 10 Pro, and it performs as expected. The Redmi flagship's cameras have now been tested by DxOMark and found to perform better than phones like the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Galaxy S20+.