Android

Google has revealed the planned launch date for Android 11, its next-generation OS. Currently undergoing public beta tests, Android 11 will arrive "everywhere" on September 8. This is probably only true for Pixel smartphones though, as have proven the case with past releases of Android.

MIUI 12 has arrived on the Xiaomi Redmi K30i 5G. The device, which most people would struggle to tell apart from the regular Redmi K30 5G, is the latest smartphone to receive Xiaomi's new OS. The company has already pushed MIUI 12 to other K30 series devices, along with other handsets like the Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9.

Redmi 8A users will be pleased to know that they don't have to wait long for the MIUI 12 update. A Mi Community Forum moderator has stated that the device will get the software in August. It shouldn't be long before Xiaomi makes a beta version of the software available to the general public.

Qualcomm has now unveiled its newest flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 865 Plus. The Snapdragon 865 Plus offers 10% better graphical performance and a higher peak CPU performance versus the Snapdragon 865, as well as significantly better Wi-Fi hardware, and will debut on the Asus ROG Phone 3.

LG has brought a host of changes to the V50 ThinQ. The new update follows the introduction of a desktop mode to the dual-screen device earlier this year.

Samsung is expected to launch its next generation of Galaxy S flagships, the S21 series, sometime in Q1 2021. New information, however, claims that all the Galaxy S21 phones will feature Samsung's in-house Exynos 1000 chipset instead of having some Snapdragon 875-powered models as is typical.

Native call recording is coming to the Poco F2 Pro. The feature has arrived for the Mi A2 Lite and Mi A3 too, although it may not be ready for prime time quite yet. The feature is embedded within the stock Phone app.

The FCC has confirmed that the Mi TV Stick is on its way to the US. The device will be available in the EU too and will support a host of current connectivity standards. Xiaomi is expected to release the Mi TV Stick in two editions and to include a multi-function remote in the box.

Samsung has confirmed that its next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on August 5. The event, the first from the company to be held online only, will be streaming from 10 a.m. ET where it is expected that the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2 will debut.

AnTuTu has published its latest Android smartphone price-performance charts, and they make for good reading for Xiaomi in particular. The Chinese OEM and its subsidiary Redmi top four out of five charts. The Redmi Note 8 Pro leads the cheapest range while the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro heads the pack in the 4,500 yuan (US$641) and above table.

Xiaomi released the Redmi K30 phones in China back in December last year. Since then, the phones have sold reasonably well, with Xiaomi announcing that it has sold three million units in the Chinese market, and temporarily slashing prices of the Redmi K30 4G by up to US$85.

A report on Weibo has revealed the Lenovo Legion smartphone racking up a huge score on AnTuTu in part thanks to its still apparently non-existent Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor. The score of 648,871 points puts the Lenovo Legion way beyond any of the average scores of devices in the Snapdragon 865-dominated AnTuTu flagship performance chart.

This $40 USD 4-in-1 adapter is as small and light as most single-purpose adapters. If you want to make your USB-C ports more useful, then the IOGEAR GUD3C460 will be a boon to your home office or workspace.

Samsung has announced that the latest firmware updates for the Galaxy A51 and A71 port some features that had heretofore been exclusive to the OEM's flagships to these mid-rangers. They mainly consist of camera-app upgrades such as the addition of Live Focus, Single Take and Smart Crop.

Rumour has it that the OnePlus Nord will be leading with a 48 MP primary camera, not a 64 MP sensor. The device will be rocking five other camera sensors too, including an ultra-wide-angle lens. A retailer has published a listing for the OnePlus Nord too, but it is likely just a placeholder.

The 3 Pro is Black Shark's Snapdragon 865-powered 2020 flagship that boasts a 7.1-inch OLED 1440p display. The Xiaomi gaming brand has declared international pre-orders for this device open as of today (July 7, 2020). Its price is set at just under US$900 on its new platform.

8BitDo has presented a new controller for Microsoft's upcoming Project xCloud gaming platform. The controller is based on the popular SN30 Pro and features fully customisable buttons. 8BitDo has announced a Mobile Gaming Clip for Xbox controllers too, which will come bundled with the controller and will be available to purchase separately.

Some CAD renders purporting to be the Google Pixel 5 have appeared online. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the supposedly cancelled Pixel 4a XL, the design would see Google abandoning its Project Soli radar system after just one generation. We are not the only ones to have our doubts about the veracity of these renders, though.

Huawei will reportedly start making the EMUI 11 update available to eligible devices in Q3 2020. Owners of the Huawei Mate 30, P30, P40, and Nova 5 series will receive it first. Alternatively, it is also expected to make its way to a host of Honor phones in the form of Magic UI 4.0.

Poco has launched the Poco M2 Pro in India. It comes with a 6.7-inch FHD+ screen, a quad-camera setup, a 5,000mAh battery that can be charged at 33W, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC. Prices start at INR 13,999 (US$187) for the base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The device will be available for purchase on Flipkart starting July 14.

Several live images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra smartphone have been leaked online. The real-life shots show the camera housing on the rear, the S Pen lying on the device, and a glimpse at the front and right-hand side. A noted leaker has been comparing the differences between the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4C has been launched in Malaysia. The global version of the budget activity tracker has gone on sale there for 99 MYR (US$23). The Mi Smart Band 4C is basically a rebranded Redmi Band and offers users a heart-rate monitor, 5 ATM water resistance, and a 1.08-inch touchscreen.

Huawei has filed a trademark application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for the name Mate V. This would be an adroit term for, say, a device that can fold like a book in the current Galaxy Fold style. Therefore, the term may hint at such an upcoming phablet from this OEM.

The Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite are two-years-old now and have both received two major OS updates. While owners of the phones may reserve some hope over their prospects of getting Android 11, new information clarifies that such hopes are pointless.

The iQOO Z1x is set to launch on July 9, 2020 and to rock the Snapdragon 765G processor on this date. However, the OEM has yet to confirm any more details on the new phone's internals. A new Master Lu listing for a device with an unfamiliar model number is now linked to the upcoming mid-ranger, however, and may show what it can do with 8GB of RAM.

OnePlus continues to tease the OnePlus Nord ahead of its next pre-order event on July 8. The device, which will retail for under US$500, will feature OIS and some sleek-looking retail packaging. It seems that a July 21 release date has been confirmed too, as has the "world's first AR smartphone launch".

Advertised as "the only app to download MIUI 13 on your device" and apparently updated on June 23, the app created by Madhav Developers looks like a piece of code — possibly malignant — that should not have been allowed on Google Play. However, one thing is certain - MIUI 13 is not available for the public yet.

A leak has confirmed that Xiaomi has a new family of devices in development, codenamed Gauguin. Apparently sporting 64 MP and 108 MP rear-facing cameras, the Gauguin and Gauguin Pro also have Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs. The specifications of the Gauguin family seemingly line-up with the Redmi K40 and Redmi K40 Pro, which are due to arrive in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 respectively.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a new Samsung device called the SM-A716V for sale. This phone is thought to be called the Galaxy A71s 5G on launch. According to its new official schematics, it may look much like the pre-existing A71. However, there are some signs its potential new derivative is destined for the Verizon network.

A 3C certification listing was recently spotted for the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 5G and indicates that the foldable will come with the same 25W charger as the Samsung Galaxy S20. This means the Galaxy Fold 2 will likely charge from 0 to 50 percent in just half an hour.

Huawei has confirmed that its next OS, EMUI 11, will be arriving in August. Based on open-source Android 11 without any Google apps or services, EMUI 11 will land on the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro this quarter before making its full debut on the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro later this year.

Recent China Beta versions of MIUI 12 suggest that Xiaomi is developing its answer to Top Shot, Google's machine-learning photography tool. Called AI shutter, the feature appears to have similar functionality to Top Shot and may eventually make its way to stable MIUI 12 builds.

Rumour has it that Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra at some hefty price tags next month. Apparently, the two flagships will retail for 25%-30% higher than the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+. The rumoured pricing would also see the Galaxy Z Fold 2 cost over US$2,000. A fake Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Geekbench listing has convinced some people, too.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 may not receive MIUI 12 until September. The device, which Xiaomi released in October 2018, is on Round 2 of the company's MIUI 12 Release Schedule. However, it is not eligible for its fledging Mi Pilot progam.

ASUS has confirmed that it will be launching the ROG Phone 3 this month, the successor to last year's ROG Phone 2. The device, which is thought to include a 6,000 mAh battery, has already been seen in a leaked hands-on video and at the TENAA. The ROG Phone 3 should have a high-refresh-rate AMOLED panel and perhaps even a Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset.

MIUI 12 firmware for owners of the Redmi Note 8 Pro in India has been restricted to official testers who were part of the Mi Pilot program so far. However, it appears that Xiaomi is expecting the testing period to be completed soon, as the MIUI 12 India ROM should start rolling out “shortly”.

A new feature update coming to Chrome 86 looks set to make serious reductions in its resource usage. The experimental feature could extend battery life considerably on laptops by shutting down certain background tasks in open tabs.

The Redmi 8 has received yet another price increase in India, bringing the total to four price hikes in that market since it was released in October 2019. While one of the hikes was due to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the other three increases for the Redmi 8 suggest that Xiaomi is milking the smartphone’s incredible popularity.

Huawei's best SuperCharge wired power adapter can charge a compatible device at up to 40 watts (W). However, a leak points to a new generation of these accessories that is capable of 66W. The OEM has reportedly had it approved for use by the regulator 3C, which may make it available for the Mate 40 series.

An alleged roadmap was posted on the Mi Community forums detailing Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4 rollout of the MIUI 12 stable ROM in China. While this does list all the Xiaomi and Redmi devices likely to be covered in each phase, it does not indicate any definite timeline. Interestingly, this roadmap also includes older devices such as the Redmi 4X and the Redmi Note 4X.

Nine months after release, the Redmi Note 8 is yet to receive a major OS update, even though the Redmi Note 8 Pro got its Android 10 update months ago. That is set to change, however, with new information giving Redmi Note 8 owners around the world an idea of when the Android 10 update will finally arrive.

The smart-glasses company Vuzix has announced that it has 3C certification for its M400 model. Therefore, it may now target the market in question with this IP67-rated, drop-resistant smart viewer. As with many other products in this category, it is directed at professional and industrial applications.

Samsung India has reportedly posted a support page for a phone called the Galaxy M01s (or SM-M017F/DS), despite the fact that this phone is not on sale in the same country yet. This official leak shows that the upcoming device has 3GB of RAM. However, additional tips show that it may not be a brand-new product on its launch.

The OnePlus 8 Pro was launched back in April but has routinely been out of stock since then. The phones has received mostly positive reviews and that appears to have translated into sales, with the implication of OnePlus selling a lot more units than it projected.

A post on Weibo by Redmi boss Lu Weibing has sparked speculation that either Xiaomi or Redmi is planning on releasing a small phone. A small-screen flagship variant of the rumored Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 was suggested by many of his post’s commentators. Weibing shared an image showing a size comparison of the Apple iPhone 4 and Redmi Note 8.

iQOO has announced that its new addition to the Z1 series of phones will debut later in July 2020. According to recent leaks, this one will be powered by the Snapdragon 765G processor, whereas the flagship has the MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ SoC. Its mid-range sibling may also have a 6.57-inch FHD display and triple rear cameras.

Android has been a 64-bit OS for some time now. However, this transition has not resulted in a wholesale switch to the same in all apps. Nevertheless, Chrome has finally shown signs of migrating to this platform, starting with its newest Dev and Canary versions.

Move over, Galaxy M31: it looks like your title of "battery monster" will go to a newer phone soon. Samsung has apparently made a new mobile power-pack with a rated capacity of no less than 6800mAh. It has leaked out thanks to a few official certifications for this component from Korean and Chinese regulators.

A new phone design patent attributed to the OEM Huawei shows that it has one truly massive lens in an even larger rectangular housing on its back panel. However, there may be a good reason for this: its schematics show that it may also be capable of DSLR-like zoom. Therefore, this IP may one day represent the company's next image-sensor breakthrough.