Android

The Motorola One Vision launched as this OEM's first smartphone with a punch-hole display. Now, it seems it is getting a new variant. Known as the Plus, it has the same size screen as the original, but may not be the same on the inside.

Sony has announced new additions to its SRS-XB line of wireless speakers. Their generation features programmable lighting strips in their IP67 housing and are engineered for "deep, punchy bass" and a 3D surround effect. There are 3 models in this line-up that are available to pre-order from today.

The OEM Vivo has announced a new smartphone, the V19, for its Indian customers. This Snapdragon 712-powered device has a 6.44-inch FHD+ display with dual punch-hole cameras. It starts at the equivalent of ~US$370 (INR 27,990), and will be available from May 15, 2020.

Huawei wearables will no longer work unless you download HMS via the AppGallery instead of the Google Play Store. Unintentional or not, people are unhappy about it.

Poco finally lifted the veil off the Poco F2 Pro. It is a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro that comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, a quad-camera array at the back, a pop-up selfie camera, 4,700mAh battery, and more. Prices start at €499 for the base variant with 6/128GB of RAM/Storage, and €599 for the one with 8/256GB.

LG has been trying for years to make a buck out of smartphones but the company’s mobile division continues to generate losses. A report out of Korea indicates that it is working on a new smartphone with a literal twist where the main screen rotates into a horizonal position with a hidden secondary vertical display offering additional functionality.

The OPPO Reno3 series was among the first to introduce new Snapdragon and MediaTek 5G SoCs to the market in 2020. Now, a new leak from IceUniverse may show that at least 1 of its successors is in the works. It consists of an image of a phone in which the rear cameras are divided into separate circles, like those of LG's latest release.

As promised, the Huawei P30 Pro New Edition is now officially available for purchase in Germany. The device is now a generation old, but it has been freshened up with the official version of Android 10 with full Google services support.

Motorola released its new kind of Razr at the start of 2020. Despite its groundbreaking foldable screen, it was stuck on Android 9.0 (Pie) from its launch. Now, the OEM has finally announced a major software upgrade, custom-designed to suit its form-factor.

Realme has finally taken wraps off its Narzo lineup that is comprised of the Narzo 10 and the Narzo 10A powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 and G70 SoCs respectively. Realme is aiming Narzo at gamers and performance enthusiasts on a budget and has plans to offer more such phones in the future.

The Mi A3 is now receiving a new update. The update further fixes the issues from previous Android 10 builds, including fingerprint and launcher problems. Most notably, though, it allows the shutter speed to be set to a max of 32 seconds like it was on Android Pie.

The Honor 9X Pro is once again equipped with hardware that is more than competitive. In combination with the rest of the equipment, the smartphone would be an absolute hit for 250 Euros (~$271), if it wasn't for the lack of Google Services.

An earlier leak asserted that Google had chosen May 22, 2020 as the launch date for its new mid-ranger, the Pixel 4a. However, an update from the same source now purports to push this event further back into June. It may or may not coincide with a new kind of online conference arranged for Android 11.

A Poco F2 Pro render has appeared in the wild, just a day before its release. It looks a lot like the Redmi K30 Pro, as foretold by earlier rumors centered around the device. The phone is expected to come in both 5G and 4G-only variants, depending on the market.

It was known that a new 5G SoC, the Snapdragon 768G, would be announced today (May 11, 2020) due to the fact the first device to rock it has also been launched. Now, its maker Qualcomm has released more details on it and how it improves on its predecessor, the 765G.

Honor's upcoming successor to the 9X will be 5G thanks to its Kirin 820 processor. The brand has been hyping the phone on this basis, pointing out that it supports enough new bands to make it viable for years to come. This device's launch date has also been revealed.

The Z1, an upcoming phone from Vivo's high-value sub-brand iQOO, is currently tipped as the MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ version of the Snapdragon 865-powered Neo3 from the same. Its launch date has now been officially revealed, alongside new teasers that show how this phone will look.

The Samsung Galaxy S20+ has now been tested by DxOMark. The scores offer a few notable takeaways, including inferiority to the S20 Ultra, an overall lack of improvement over the Note 10+, and the real-world effectiveness of the S20 and S20+'s digital zoom.

It seems possible that Xiaomi could be working on flagship smartphones for a potential Mi Mix 4 series, or at least devices with the Mi Mix moniker. Scant details have been offered by a well-known leaker on Weibo, however, there is mention of a 120 Hz refresh rate for the display which has often been rumored for a Xiaomi Mi Mix 4.

Was a smartphone like the iPhone inevitable? Ken Kocienda, one of its designers doesn’t believe so. Rather, Kocienda argues in a tweet over the weekend that it was “an act of creativity” and that, as such, “It wasn’t inevitable”.

A new version of the Xiaomi Redmi K30 is here, complete with a new chipset and a fresh colour option. Priced at CNY 1,999 (~US$283), the Redmi K30 Extreme Edition features all the good aspects of the Redmi K30 5G but with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G SoC. Essentially an overclocked Redmi K30 5G, the Redmi K30 Extreme Edition will launch on May 14 and will be available in an exclusive "Mint Ice Blue" finish. The device will not launch on MIUI 12, though.

Some recent Realme phones have impressed with their large 5000mAh power-packs at affordable levels. Now, it seems the next generation on may have even better battery life. This OEM has reportedly made a new component with 1000mAh more.

The existence of a new Mi 10 variant, the "Lite Zoom" was inadvertently leaked by none other than Qualcomm not long ago. Now, a new tip asserts that it is headed for a European launch shortly. It may be revealed as an international Mi 10 Youth Edition at such an event.

Redmi is currently linked to the launch of a phone called the 10X. Despite the novelty of this name, recent leaks have suggested that this device has the same specs as the Note 9 from the same brand. However, a new tip contradicts this idea with a different spec-list.

The Samsung Galaxy A41 will go on sale in the Netherlands soon. This new affordable option has a 6.1-inch FHD+ screen and an IP68 ingress-protection rating. It is listed on some Dutch retail sites as an unlocked phone, and will also be available via several carriers.

The Snapdragon 855-powered Mi Mix 3 5G was launched about a year ago. Since then, it hasn't received a major OS update, and remains stuck on Android Pie with no hope for a change of status anytime soon. Even worse, the Mi Mix 3 5G hasn't gotten the MIUI 11 update either, and owners of the phone refuse to take that sitting down.

A trademark application filed in September 2019 reveals that Vivo is reportedly working on an in-house chipset. It reveals very little about the specifics of the chipset, or even if it is intended for smartphones. It does, however, give credence to an earlier rumor that said Oppo was working on an in-house chip.

The Honor X10 is probably going to be its brand's next Kirin 820-powered phone. A new leak in conjunction with this device has shown how it might retain this SoC's performance in demanding circumstances. This may consist of thermal management involving a relatively substantial amount of graphene.

The Mate 10 Pro, P20 Pro, and Mate 20 Pro all delivered sub-par selfie cameras, and it seemed Huawei was working on that with its recent flagship phones. The Honor V30 Pro appears to be a deviation from that path, as the phone only recorded scores on par with two-year-old flagships when tested by DxOMark.

AnTuTu has reportedly tested a device with the Snapdragon 865 SoC and a novel Realme model number. This has led to speculations that a true X2 Pro successor is in the works. If so, it might join the X3 and X3 Super Zoom variants on its launch.

Chinese manufacturer Meizu has now launched its flagship phones for the year: the Meizu 17 and Meizu 17 Pro. The phones pack in an assortment of current-gen technology including 90 Hz AMOLED displays, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, 30 W fast wired charge, and 27 W wireless charge in a bid to compete against the Mi 10 and OnePlus 8 series.

Redmi is all set to unveil yet another member of the K30 family in the form of the Redmi K30 Speed Edition. It will also be the world's first phone to run Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon 768G chip. The smartphone will be unveiled on May 11th at an event in China.

Sony has started updating the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus with Android 10 in some regions. The software is bundled with the March 2020 security patch along with all the standard Android 10 features. It will make its way to eligible devices OTA in the coming weeks.

The highly-anticipated MIUI 12 update will make its way to Xiaomi and Redmi devices starting May 19th. A total of 32 devices will be eligible for the MIUI 12 open beta before the final release hits the airwaves. Users on the beta version of MIUI 11 will get the software via an OTA while those on a stable version will have to sideload it.

Canalys has tweeted a graph showing the global top 10 smartphones in Q1 2020 and all of the positions are taken up by devices from just three OEMs: Apple, Xiaomi, and Samsung. The big winner for the quarter was the iPhone 11 with over 18 million units shipped. There were strong figures for the Redmi Note 8 & 8T and the Galaxy A51 too.

Today, (May 8, 2020) Xiaomi's gaming brand Black Shark has announced the beginning of open sales for its latest generation of flagship phones, the 3 and 3 Pro. These devices pack the Snapdragon 865 SoC, along with some genre-specific hardware tweaks. However, only some SKUs are actually available to order at present.

The prices for Xiaomi Mi 10 smartphones for the Indian market have been revealed and have shocked fans expecting something more affordable. For example, the Xiaomi Mi 10 with 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage will cost ₹49,999 (US$662). This has led to many comments that smartphone users will be considering a OnePlus 8 Pro purchase instead.

Honor is looking good in the latest AnTuTu chart for midrange smartphones, with the Honor 30S powering into a strong second position with the help of its Kirin 820 chipset. Its score of 364,077 points sets it apart from those behind it, but it is still a long way off the 405,159 points managed by the OPPO Reno3 5G with its impressive Dimensity 1000L SoC.

The arrival of the iQOO Neo3 and OPPO Ace2 into AnTuTu’s latest flagship chart have shaken things up a little bit, but the leaderboard is still headed by the OPPO Find X2 Pro. All of the top 10 smartphones feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoCs, and the iQOO Neo3 is only the third device so far to manage an average score over 600,000 points.

After months of waiting, the Mi Note 10 is finally receiving its first taste of Android 10. The update carries the version number "MIUI 11.1.1.0.QFDMIXM" and weighs a typical 2.6 GB. It's the global stable beta build, so we expect a full rollout in the near future.

Is it a coincidence that multiple OEMs are now activating the Sp02 sensors in their smartwatches via an update? After Huawei did so with the Watch GT 2, Honor has now rolled out an equivalent firmware update for the MagicWatch 2 that enables blood oxygen saturation monitoring.

Google has released three colour variants of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL so far, but a fourth has appeared on a Chinese auction site. Adorned in a matte grey finish, the device can be had for CNY 2,699, equivalent to around US$380.

The successor to the Nokia 6.2 remains on track, according to latest rumours. Called the Nokia 6.3, the mid-range smartphone will feature a PureDisplay with a teardrop notch, along with four Zeiss-branded rear-facing cameras and a Snapdragon 675 chipset.

MediaTek has unveiled a new 5G platform for premium phones - well, sort of. This Dimensity 1000+ (or 1000 Plus) has the same make-up as the current 1000 SoC. However, this refreshed version boasts a number of features intended to further enhance its potential flagship game.

The TUV Rheinland body has reportedly certified a new power supply unit (PSU) from the OEM OnePlus. This apparent next-gen Warp Charger is rated for a maximal rate of 10 volts (V)/6.5 amps (A) - or 65 watts (W). Therefore, it could boost charging speeds using this company's in-house system considerably.

The One UI 2.1 update is now available for Samsung Galaxy A51 owners. It comes with the April 2020 security patch but is missing a lot of features such as Single Take Mode, Pro Video Mode, Selfie Tone, and more. The firmware is available for download globally OTA and via Samsung Smart Switch.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra features a 40 MP sensor as its selfie camera. Bigger is supposedly better and one would expect it to be the best on the market, yes? Well, no. The S20 Ultra only finishes joint second on DxOMark's selfie chart, and more interestingly, with just one more point than the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G and its meager 10 MP sensor.