Android

Xiaomi has officially announced that the MIUI 12 beta stable update (V12.0.2.0.QFJINXM) has started to roll out to some Xiaomi Mi 9T/Redmi K20 devices in India. The firmware has now been pushed OTA and users chosen by random should start receiving notifications to install the MIUI 12 update. The public ROM should be available soon.

Microsoft’s hardware chief Panos Panay has taken to Twitter to once again tease the Surface Duo ahead of its impending launch. The device in Panay’s hands features a clear and white plastic case which is the first time it has been shown in any protective armor.

Huawei is now expanding its EMUI 10.1 rollout. The company is currently sending out the EMUI 10.1 update to owners of the Mate 20 X 5G in Europe, as well as owners of the P30 and P30 Pro in South Africa, North Africa, South-East Asia, and the Middle East.

The Meizu 17 Pro has managed to squeeze its way into an increasingly tight AnTuTu flagship smartphone performance chart. The table for June shows the Meizu 17 Pro beating out the OnePlus 8 Pro, while a total of just 23,453 points separates the first place device with the last place device in the Snapdragon 865-dominated chart.

It seems likely that the MIUI 12 update for Redmi Note 9 smartphone users in Europe has been temporarily halted. A new MIUI 11 stable update has started rolling out for the Redmi Note 9 instead, which will bring the device up to date in terms of security patches. Owners of the phone in China have already started receiving MIUI 12.

A potent combination of Redmi and MediaTek has made some waves at the top of the latest AnTuTu midrange smartphone performance chart. Both the Redmi 10X Pro 5G and Redmi 10X 5G devices have snatched up first and third places, respectively, with the help of their MediaTek Dimensity 820 processors.

At a street price of around 440 Euros (~$494), the Find X2 Lite lacks the purchase arguments against the strong mid-range competition in this price segment. The Snapdragon 765 mobile phone doesn't have the sophisticated looks of its sibling models, the Find X2 Neo and Find X2 Pro, to attract the attention of potential buyers.

The Chinese telecomms regulator 3C has reportedly certified a new Motorola device called the XT2071-4. This model number is rumored to correspond to the 2nd-generation foldable Razr. This new clamshell is thought to have the same screen size as its predecessor, although it may have an updated 5G SoC.

Every year, Android and iOS get new features, and every year, the differences between the platforms diminish. The recent announcement of iOS 14 showcased a bevy of new features, and some of them will look quite familiar to Android users.

After sending out a global beta MIUI 12 update to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Xiaomi has now also released a MIUI 12 update to the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 7 Pro in China. The update bears the build designation "MIUI 12.20.7.3", and is only available for those who opted into the MIUI 12 China beta testing program.

A leak has confirmed that the Redmi K30 and Redmi K30 Pro will soon be joined by a device called the Redmi K30 Ultra. Possibly the real name for the rumoured Redmi K40, the device has been spotted with a 64 MP primary camera and a pop-up selfie camera. Xiaomi has just certified a 120 W with the 3C too.

Some phones from 2019 and 2020 that bear the Samsung Galaxy name now have OTA updates that contain the latest Android security patch. They include the S20 series, as well as the Note 10s. Some higher-end Ax0 devices are also included in this list, which has appeared markedly early in the month.

Samsung Germany has confirmed that it will be releasing a 5G version of the upcoming Galaxy Tab S7+. Rumoured to be launching on August 5, the 12.4-inch tablet is thought to have a 120 Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 865 SoC and a 10,000 mAh battery. A 15 W charger is expected to be included in the box now, too.

OnePlus has teased the design of the OnePlus Nord. Spotted on an Instagram video, the company has revealed that the device will feature a flat screen, multiple rear-facing cameras and at least one, if not two, front-facing cameras.

Some recent leaks have raised the possibility of a successor for the Samsung Galaxy M30s. Now, the OEM has certified a battery that could conceivably have been made for this phone. However, those hoping for even more screen-on time between charges may be slightly disappointed in its specs.

POCO has confirmed the existence of the M2 Pro, and is currently teasing it on Twitter and Flipkart ahead of its July 7, 2020 launch. These official leaks show some inextricable links between it and the pre-existing Redmi Note 9 Pro. For example, both phones are now known to have quad rear cameras and 33 watt (W) charging.

An anomalous Geekbench 5 listing of a Xiaomi Redmi K30 shows scores that are many times more than even a Ryzen 9 3950X. The fact that such a record exists in the official Geekbench database is the reason why buyers should exercise due diligence when considering synthetic benchmarks as a sole yardstick for overall device performance.

Rumour has it that the OnePlus Nord will be launching in India on July 21. Additionally, the OnePlus Nord is purported to feature a 90 Hz display, up to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. A total of six cameras will be in tow too, along with OIS and EIS.

Motorola has started the global rollout of its new mid-range Fusion+ and Fusion smartphones. The new smartphones will appeal to value hunters looking for a good balance of price and performance.

The Mi 10 Pro has earned plenty of positive reviews for its excellent rear cameras and audio performance, as well as for being competitive across the board. It would seem, however, that the phone has one major weakness, and one that may be a dealbreaker for some in the social media era.

The Google Pixel 4a has popped up at the NCC in Taiwan, confirming the device's battery capacity. According to the listing, the Pixel 4a will have a larger battery than not only the Pixel 3a, but also the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4. Google is sticking with 18 W fast charging for its next mid-range smartphone, though.

The Nokia 8.3 5G has landed in the UK for under £500. The device features a 6.81-inch display, a Snapdragon 765G SoC, 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage and 5G connectivity. The Nokia 8.3 5G will begin shipping in September.

OnePlus has unveiled its new range of smart TVs for the Indian market. The OnePlus TV Y costs INR 49,999 (US$670) and comes with a 55-inch 4K-ready HDR 10 screen, MEMC, and OnePlus' in-house Gamma Colour Magic chip. The OnePlus TV U retail at INR 22,999 (US$307) and INR 12,999 (US$173) for the 43-inch 1080p and the 32-inch 720p versions, respectively.

Geekbench has seemingly confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC and 8 GB of RAM. The Galaxy Tab S7 is thought to be launching next month with a 7,760 mAh battery and alongside the Galaxy Note20 series.

The stable MIUI 12 update has arrived for the Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro and Mi 9T Pro in India. The update, which is arriving as an OTA download, is live now. A corresponding OS upgrade has reached the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi 10X 4G too.

Honor has launched a pair of new Dimensity 800-powered phones today (July 2, 2020). Despite this, the 2 phones are quite different, particularly in terms of their displays. The 30 Youth Edition has a 6.5-inch 90 hertz (Hz) panel, whereas that of the X10 Max exceeds 7 inches. Both devices can be pre-ordered today.

Google has officially discontinued the mid-range Pixel 3a and 3a XL smartphones. The news comes ahead of what is expected to be the imminent launch of the single replacement device, the Pixel 4a.

Rumour has it that multiple upcoming flagships will feature at least 120 Hz displays, including the Google Pixel 5, Galaxy Fold 2, Huawei Mate X 2 and possibly the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro+. Contrary to previous leaks, Apple will apparently not be bringing its ProMotion display technology to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, though.

Xiaomi has issued an important warning about the Redmi Note 8 Pro in regard to the current MIUI 12 global stable beta update rollout. The Chinese OEM is concerned that Redmi Note 8 Pro owners who are not part of the Mi Pilot program may damage their smartphones by installing the MIUI 12 update via another unofficial route.

Previous information indicated that the Redmi Note 8 would get the Android 10 update with MIUI 12 shortly. That may be in doubt now, however, as word from the Mi Forums claims the MIUI 12 update for the Redmi Note 8T—essentially a Redmi Note 8 for certain markets—is months away.

Samsung launched the quad-camera Galaxy A31 less than a month ago (in June 2020). Nevertheless, the phone is getting a discount already. It is now INR 1000 less than its original price, which brings it down to the equivalent of US$278.

The first official images of the Galaxy Note20 series have appeared online, supposedly accidentally uploaded by Samsung. Pictured in Mystic Bronze, the Note20 Ultra appears to feature a periscope camera, along with two other lenses and a ToF sensor. The Note20 Ultra also looks to have a curved display, and the S Pen has received a redesign too.

Poco's next phone will be the Poco M2 Pro. The company seems to be continuing the trend of offering rebadged Redmi phones in its lineup, and new information indicates that the Poco M2 Pro, slated for a July 7 launch, may just be a rebadged Redmi Note 9 Pro.

Initial pre-orders for the OnePlus Nord went live today, the first of three pre-order events hosted by OnePlus. Fans of the company do not seem too happy about how quickly units were snapped up though, with stock levels apparently having been exhausted in under a minute. The Snapdragon 765G, 5G connectivity and a flagship-level camera for under US$500 has been confirmed too.

The release of MIUI 12 for the Mi 9T Pro, Mi 9T, Mi 9, Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro is "now starting to kick in", according to Xiaomi. The statement, tweeted to its hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter, appears to signal that the company may be ready to start issuing MIUI 12 to other devices like the Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 8 Pro and Pocophone F1 too.

A new patent added to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database shows that Samsung has developed a foldable battery to power phones of the same nature. It is constructed of layers in a way that allows one of its cells to connect to another via a flexible commisure that crosses the hinge-portion of the device in question. This removes the need for 2 separate solid batteries and their potential drawbacks.

Two separate sources have confirmed that a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC will power the upcoming OnePlus Nord. The first one is OnePlus' co-founder Carl Pei, and the other is Qualcomm. The phone will be released in India on July 10th.

Just how good is the "gimbal" camera system in the Vivo X50 Pro? Well, a hands-on review of the device has shown it to be competitive with flagships like the Apple iPhone 11 Pro, Huawei P40 Pro Plus and Google Pixel 4, which is quite the coup for Vivo. However, the "gimbal" camera system is not as revolutionary as Vivo has claimed it to be.

The stable MIUI 12 update has landed for the global version of the Xiaomi Mi 9. The update follows equivalent OS upgrades for the Chinese and EU editions of the device.

The FCC has confirmed that the Oppo Watch is almost ready to hit global audiences. The smartwatch, which has already been released in China, has a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2500 processor, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. The smartwatch will be available in two sizes and has built-in LTE, along with support for GPS and NFC.

The Find X2 Neo looks great. However, the Oppo smartphone receives a lot of criticism in our test, which make the mid-range smartphone appear unattractive close to the targeted RRP of almost 700 Euros.

After a long wait, the Android 10-based LineageOS 17.1 ROM is available for the Xiaomi Mi A1. The firmware is still a nightly status, unfortunately. Other handsets that got Android 10 support thanks to LineageOS 17.1 in the last few days include the OnePlus 5/5T and later models, LG V20, Honor View 10, HTC One 2014, and others.

After sending out stable MIUI 12 updates to its premium phones, Xiaomi has now set its sights towards the mid-range. MIUI 12 is now in the second round of seeding, beginning with the Redmi Note 8 Pro—which has now received a limited global beta build with the designation "MIUI 12.0.0.4 QGGMIXM".

The Snapdragon Wear 3100 was Qualcomm's latest dedicated SoC for smartwatches - until today. It has been supplanted by the new 4100 - as well as the 4100+. Both feature a new processor, paired with an ultra-low-power co-processor. The 4100+ distinguishes itself with an exclusive chipset for enhanced always-on displays.

Xiaomi has published the pilot testers that have been selected to receive MIUI 12 Global Stable beta updates for Round 2 of the company's release schedule. The Redmi Note 7, Redmi Note 8 Pro and Poco F1 are eligible for the stable beta updates.

Xiaomi has delivered another update for the Redmi 7A, this time upgrading Indian handsets to Android 10. However, while the entry-level handset should soon be upgraded to MIUI 12, this latest update does not deliver on that.

The Xperia 1 II has some hidden secrets. The flagship smartphone is rather repairable by today's standards too. There are no flimsy cables to slice through when removing the back panel, for instance. Also, many parts are replaceable, with Sony continuing to use modular charging ports and battery pull tabs.