Android

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ celebrated their three-year birthdays a while ago, and Samsung has now relegated them to its quarterly update list, with support expected to end completely in a year. The S8 Active and Galaxy Note 8, however, remain on the monthly update list.

The HTC U12+ was launched back in 2018 just like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Huawei P20 Pro. While the S9 and P20 Pro have received the Android 10 update, the HTC U12+ remains stuck on Android Pie, and its prospects of getting Android 10 remain virtually non-existent.

Xiaomi may have already unveiled MIUI 12, but the Redmi Note 8 remains one of the devices still awaiting Android 10. While Xiaomi has confirmed that it will be continuing the rollout of the OS upgrade to the Redmi Note 8 Pro this month, the Redmi Note 8 must wait until July before it starts receiving Android 10.

Google had promised the ability to control its cloud gaming platform Stadia using the Assistant on more platforms. This has started to come to fruition with the ability to tell this AI to launch titles via the service. It reportedly works through text or voice on Android or Chrome OS devices.

Phones with dedicated keyboards are more or less a thing of the past at this point. However, OPPO has patented a new product that may bring them back, albeit on an optional basis. The resulting "keyboard case" has a layout probably chosen for its relatively small footprint.

Huawei will be re-launching the P30 Pro as a P30 Pro New Edition in Germany (and perhaps in other Western markets) with Google Mobile Services (GMS) enabled. This move is being seen as an attempt by the Chinese smartphone major to regain lost ground due to the absence of GMS in the P40 series.

Samsung has officially confirmed that it will be launching a sequel to the Galaxy Fold. The news was buried in its financial report last week as it sought to assure investors that it is going to continue to try innovating itself out of a general decline in smartphone dominance.

The Exynos 990 on the Samsung Galaxy S20 has failed just about every test it's been presented with and that trend continues. In a gaming comparison video versus the MediaTek Helio G90T-powered Redmi Note 8 Pro, the Exynos 990-powered Galaxy S20 proves yet again that it shouldn't be an option for smartphone gamers.

The latest releases from the smartphone OEM OnePlus, the 8 and 8 Pro, have been issued new versions of their Android skin, OxygenOS. These updates are intended to fix the "green tint" defect reported by some users. They have also been released to enhance some aspects of the phones' cameras.

The Cuban vlogger TecnoLike Plus has already purported to have reviewed the Google Pixel 4a's cameras well ahead of its launch. Now, the same source has leaked this phone's relevant specs in more detail. It seems the phone has the same Sony IMX shooters as some older Pixels on its front and back.

It seems LG has dropped all pretense of keeping its upcoming premium mid-ranger, the Velvet, under wraps until its May 2020 launch. It has been spotted in one of this OEM's physical stores in South Korea. This new leak may confirm a build quality to match its looks, and also how it looks with its Dual Screen cover.

A couple of rare Xiaomi smartphones are currently being offered for sale: a Xiaomi Mi 6 Mercury Silver Edition and a Xiaomi Mi 7 prototype sample. The special variant of the Mi 6 can be purchased for 19,999 yuan (US$2,831) but you will need to have very deep pockets if you want to get your hands on the extremely rare Xiaomi Mi 7 device.
Update: Xiaomishka believes the so-called Mi 7 is a disguised Mi 8.

The market for mobile devices contracted by 13% in the first quarter of 2020 (1Q2020), compared to 1Q2019. All of its top brands, with the exception of Realme and Xiaomi, also saw declines in terms of shipments and share. However, they may all see even more adversity in 2Q2020.

The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung's contemporary attempt at a clamshell-style foldable phone. The phone starts at just under US$1400, and has now made the trip over to DxOMark where it posted scores akin to two-year-old flagship phones from the competition.

Some OnePlus 8 Pro units suffer from well-documented green tint and black crush display issues. OnePlus is now acknowledging the latter to be a hardware defect, and is offering to repair, refund, or replace affected units.

Samsung is said to have a true Galaxy Fold 2 in the works - now, it also seems there is a 2nd-gen Galaxy Z Flip as well. This clamshell-style foldable, despite its novelty, may be underwhelming in terms of its dual rear cameras. New patents allegedly filed by its maker shows how it might look with 1 lens more.

Lenovo’s Chrome OS-based IdeaPad Duet captured a lot of interest when it was first unveiled in early January. It has very similar form and functionality to Google’s much more expensive Pixel Slate, but it is priced a lot more attractively – just US$299 including keyboard. If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on it, the wait will soon be over as it is looks set to ship by May 11.

Xiaomi has apparently started testing the Android 10-based MIUI 12 ROM for the Redmi Note 8 in China implying a global rollout soon. However, the company has not defined any timeline and whether the rollout will eventually happen or not depends on satisfactory performance of the update during testing

Meizu has already confirmed that it will launch a flagship smartphone called the 17 in May 2020. Now, the e-tail site JD.com has posted a relevant listing in advance of this event. However, it is not for the 17, but an unheard-of T-variant.

The upcoming OnePlus Z will allegedly ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 SoC. Previous leaks hinted that the phone would feature MediaTek's Dimensity 1000 chip. OnePlus may have planned on using a MediaTek chip initially but switched to Qualcomm at the last moment.

Samsung has been rumored to have a Galaxy A21s ready for release this year. A new leak confirms this, referring to the phone by its name for the first time. Interestingly, the new device is now associated with 5 slightly different model numbers, suggesting that it will be available in multiple regions.

Huawei may have filed a new patent for a tablet that is now on the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database. Given its form-factor, it may be easy to assume that it is the upcoming T8 model rumored to launch soon. However, this new design and the budget slate as leaked thus far show slightly confusing variation.

Samsung users running Android 9.0 Pie will have to wait a bit longer for the One UI 2.0 update. According to a notification on the Samsung Members app, the rollout will be 'slightly delayed.' This only applies to users based in India, and it is unclear if other regions will also be affected.

Teased ahead of an expected launch later this month, camera samples show the Xperia 1 II offering better low-light performance than its predecessor. The device, which will retail for over €1,000 at launch, will come pre-installed with a new Photography Pro app, too.

Security researchers have discovered that Xiaomi's default web browser records and transmits user data to remote servers. It includes potentially sensitive information such as search engine queries and browsing history, and the behavior persists even in the supposedly anonymous incognito mode. A Xiaomi spokesperson has denied allegations of wrongdoing and states that this is standard practice.

The Google Pixel 4a is billed to launch later this month. The phone is expected to edge the competition with its camera performance, and one would envisage it to show an overwhelming dominance if pitted against a Redmi Note 7. Reality, however, is often disappointing.

Alleged prices for two variants of the European market Xiaomi POCO F2 Pro smartphone have been leaked. The cheapest model starts at €649 (US$711), which is a considerable mark-up from the domestic market, where the phone is known as the Redmi K30 Pro. However, this seems to confirm Xiaomi’s aspirations of emulating OEMs like Samsung and Apple.

Realme introduced its 6-series of phones to the European market at the end of March 2020, albeit with 1 bewildering omission: its Pro variant. Now, the OEM has cleared this up with the announcement of a standalone virtual launch event for this device.

HTC is currently said to have a new phone called the Desire 20 Pro in the works. The noted leaker Evan Blass has now ramped these rumors up with a new render. It depicts the supposedly upcoming device as one with a quad rear camera module and a single punch-hole in its display.

The gaming-phone sub-brand Black Shark has released details of a European launch for its new flagship series. It will be available via open sales in a dedicated web-store from May 8, 2020. In the meantime, fans can enter competitions for various discounts.

Samsung has reportedly certified the SM-M015G/DS, a device thought to be called the Galaxy M01 on its launch. This is because it has virtually the same specs as the pre-existing, ultra-budget Galaxy A01 - albeit with enhanced battery life.

In our review, the Huawei Mate Xs has convinced us with its foldable design. While the outer display certainly carries a higher risk, it also opens up numerous opportunities including a slimmer design. However, the foldable has also revealed weaknesses in areas where we had not expected them.

Over a month after launching the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max in India, Xiaomi has now brought the series to the global market. The Max model has now been rebranded as the global Redmi Note 9 Pro and is joined by a regular Redmi Note 9 featuring a MediaTek Helio G85.

Six months after the release of the widely acclaimed camera-centric Mi Note 10, Xiaomi has launched a cheaper model: the Mi Note 10 Lite, featuring most of the same specifications of the regular Mi Note 10 at the cost of much worse cameras.

AMD's upcoming mobile graphics chip reportedly outperforms the Qualcomm Adreno 650 by a significant margin on GFXBench. According to a post on a Korean tech forum, the yet-to-be-named chip trounced the Qualcomm GPU by a factor of three in some tests. We can expect to see Samsung unveil this new GPU by 2021.

Here's our first look at what could be OnePlus' yet-to-be-announced OnePlus Z. The hole-punch camera looks a lot like the one on the Galaxy S20, and the device appears to have a non-curved screen. OnePlus will reportedly unveil the phone sometime in Q3 2020.

Tipster @evleaks just outed what appear to be official renders for the upcoming OPPO A92 smartphone. The Aurora Purple renders hint at a device that's very similar to the A92S already selling in China.

A 5G smartphone from Xiaomi has recently appeared in the TENAA database that could end up being the rumored Redmi K30i. The device has the model number M2001G7AC and the certification from the Chinese authority confirms this phone will come with a 48 MP main camera, whereas the regular Redmi K30 5G came with a 64 MP main camera.

AV1 is a video codec that allows for the playback of 4K video at up to 60 frames per second (fps) in the presence of smaller file-sizes compared to other similar formats. MediaTek has announced that its 2020 flagship SoC, the Dimensity 1000, supports it at a hardware level. Therefore, devices with this processor can use the YouTube app at the highest resolutions.

HMD Global will reportedly unveil newer versions of the Nokia 150 and 125 later this year. Both phones will likely be 4G-ready versions of the nearly three-year-old devices. There is no word about their prices, which should be around the ~$30 mark.

Omnivision is a company that makes CMOS image sensors for devices such as smartphones. Its latest such product is the OV64B, which offers a resolution of 64MP with a slightly different footprint compared to its more common Samsung or Sony counterparts. It also has a smaller pixel size than its competitors.

The Fairphone 3 can now be purchased without any Google services or apps pre-installed, courtesy of the /e/ Foundation. This version of the Fairphone 3 is currently only available in Europe for €479.90.

An XDA contributor claims to have "exclusive" access to info on Realme's 2nd-gen wearable. This product will apparently simply be called the brand's Watch, as with other OEM's answer to Apple's device of this category. The new leak apparently consists of renders and several UI snapshots.

In a surprisingly open interview Ren Zhengfei, the CEO of Huawei, has conceded that HarmonyOS will not be overtaking its US competitors for the foreseeable future. Zhengfei does not want to give up working with the US partners, either.

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra was expected to be the Android enthusiast’s smartphone of choice in 2020, however, things don’t appear to be going too well for the high-end handset. Following reports of a range of issues plaguing the flagship handset in the past couple of weeks, a new report indicates cracked rear camera glass is now also emerging as a possible issue.

With Google I/O 2020 canceled entirely, there was some uncertainty around the Google Pixel 4a series' release date. Internal documents sourced from Vodafone Germany indicate that Google's upcoming Pixel 4a will hit the shelves on May 22nd. General availability could vary a little, depending on your location.

It has been reported that Xiaomi is working on two new 5G smartphones that will soon be released as the Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro. The two devices will apparently feature processors from MediaTek’s Dimensity 800 series and should eventually find their way onto global markets, including China and India.

The Exynos 990 used on the global Galaxy S20 phones has come under fire for poor sustained performance and efficiency, and it would seem that Samsung plans to ditch it. The South Korean company is reportedly working on a 6nm Exynos 992 for its next flagship phone, the Galaxy Note 20.

A few months after delisting the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro from its security update schedule, Huawei has now given its other Kirin 970-powered phones, the P20 and P20 Pro, the same treatment. The devices are missing from the company's official security update bulletin for May and do not appear on either the monthly or quarterly sections.