Android

Counterpoint Research has released its latest report on the smartphone SoC market. It reports that Qualcomm remained the #1 vendor of such silicon worldwide in 2019, even though its share of the market fell slightly year-on-year. This can also be said of the rest of the top 5 manufacturers, with the exception of Samsung and Huawei's HiSilicon.

OnePlus has got people talking about a third device in the OnePlus 8 series again, rumoured to be called the OnePlus Z or OnePlus 8 Lite. Possibly powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1000, this would not be the first time that the company has shown off the device.

The Note 20s are YOBYBO's latest go at revolutionizing the TWS earbud form-factor. They have a unique asymmetrical shape that extend out of the wearer's ear while in use, as well as an equally innovative square charging case with a case rated to be up to 50% that those of competitors. They are available via their new Indiegogo campaign.

iQOO is currently setting its latest Neo-series smartphone up for launch on April 23, 2020. It has been through the AnTuTu benchmark beforehand, which reveals a decently high score as may be expected of a Snapdragon 865-powered device. It is also touted as having a 144Hz display, which may have come into play during this test.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is now available for pre-order in the Netherlands. The Wi-Fi version of the tablet costs €379.00, while the LTE variant retails at €439.00. Pre-order bonuses include a cover worth €69.99, and four months of YouTube Premium and Spotify Premium.

New leaks point to the imminent debut of a new smartphone by OPPO called the PDKM00, or A92s. This device has also recently acquired renders that suggest quad rear cameras found in a square module. It may also have popped up on Geekbench 4 with a novel MediaTek processor that could be a mid-range Dimensity variant.

There is still hope for Galaxy Note 9 owners who are eagerly anticipating the arrival of One UI 2.1 on their devices. A Samsung Community moderator said the process is under review, but it'll be a while before the update is rolled out.

Apple's new iPhone SE might have some serious chops at its price point, but it isn't all great news. A China Telecom listing shows it is fitted with a small 1,821 mAh battery and just 3 GB of RAM.

Companies like OnePlus and Huawei love to run user-driven contests across social media platforms as a way to promote the brand and this seems to be no different.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is undoubtedly an impressive piece of hardware. It costs a massive US$1400 and most would expect it to be perfect at that price point. Sadly, it isn't, as it still suffers from acute autofocus issues, and what appears to be a display defect only compounds issues.

OnePlus held its global launch for the 8 and 8 Pro smartphones yesterday (April 14, 2020). However, it also had a China-only launch event for the same scheduled for later. The OEM's official Weibo channel has teased the possibility of a "mysterious new product" for this show; could it be the 8 Lite/Z?

BOE has announced that it will make more displays that support Qualcomm's 3D Sonic fingerprint sensor technology in the future. These panels will also be of more types and for more use-cases than ever before. This includes flexible OLEDs and internet-of-things (IoT) components.

Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, and it is an absolute stinker. While the device may look modern with its thin bezels and slim form factor, the inclusion of a TFT panel means that you should give the Tab S6 Lite a miss. Seriously, why release a £339.00 (~US$425) tablet with a TFT panel in 2020?

Nokia 8 Sirocco is finally receiving its highly-anticipated Android 10 update. It is rolling out now and will be available to users in batches. Nokia says that everyone should get the software by April 20th.

Motorola is currently linked to an upcoming smartphone series with the name of Edge. One of its variants may have surfaced on Geekbench 5. It is not the rumored Snapdragon 865-powered flagship, but does apparently run the powerful upper-mid-range SoC, the 765G.

The latest variant of the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ are hailed as some of the best non-ANC TWS earbuds out there. However, they are also affected by the potential for severe wind-noise during voice calls. Their latest firmware update is touted to fix this problem.

Some details have emerged online that shed light on Nokia's upcoming flagship. Nokia 9.3 PureView will reportedly come with a 120Hz screen, a 108MP camera sensor, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. The phone doesn't have an official launch date just yet and is expected to drop later this year.

Based around a Kirin 990 and a 6.57-inch OLED panel, the Honor 30 Pro+ looks like the P40 Pro. It shares the latter's IMX700 50 MP camera too and has been awarded a laudable 125 points by DxOMark.

According to a ZenTalk forum moderator, Android 10 will be the last major OS update for the popular Asus ZenFone 5/5Z. Further updates will only focus on security and bug fixes, although the possibility of a ZenUI 7 feature update for Android 10 is not being completely ruled out.

Xiaomi seems to have leaked a small portion of its MIUI 12 user interface by accident. It’s widely believed that the Chinese OEM is busy working on the latest version of its Android overlay and there has even been a recent leak listing which smartphones will be supposedly first to receive MIUI 12. The latest user interface seems to have a darker appearance overall.

Photos of a Xiaomi Comet engineering prototype smartphone have been shared online, and it bears a distinct resemblance to the design of the Black Shark 3 gaming phone. Apparently, the Xiaomi Comet sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC and is IP68 certified, which is surprising considering the OEM’s fondness for IP53-level protection.

Rumour has it that Google has already received working versions of its custom Exynos SoC, developed in partnership with Samsung. Codenamed Whitechapel, the 8-core ARM chip is said to be based on a 5 nm process. While there has been talk of the 5 nm chip making its way into the Pixel 5, Google may have even bigger plans for Whitechapel.

As Huawei kicks off the rollout of EMUI 10.1 to its current and last-gen flagships, its Honor sub-brand isn't forgotten. The update comes in the form of Magic UI 3.1 and is now slowly becoming available on Honor flagships like the Honor 20 Pro and Honor V20.

The Xperia 1 II, Sony's most expensive flagship, is edging ever closer to being released. Due this quarter, Sony has hinted that we could be just days away from a proper unveiling. The device's €1,119 (~US$1,227.40) launch price may be a sticking point for most people, though.

OnePlus has unleashed new versions of its wireless earphones alongside its new 8-series of flagship phones. This new generation has an improved range of color options compared to its predecessors. It also features low-latency connections and a battery that can support up to 20 hours' worth of playback.

In accordance with some leaks and rumors, OnePlus has launched its first ever wireless charger today (April 14, 2020). This device is also compatible with devices besides the new 8 Pro phone, thanks to the Qi standard. It is rated to power its new companion flagship by about 50% in 30 minutes.

Apparently being released in 64 GB, 128 GB, LTE and Wi-Fi variants, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will also be available in two colours. Full specifications for the Exynos 9611-powered tablet have been revealed too, as has a so-called Book cover accessory that Samsung will sell separately.

OnePlus has officially taken wraps off the new OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. The new OnePlus 8 series is powered by the Snapdragon 865 5G and iteratively build upon last year's OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. The new phones are priced higher than ever and seem to herald a new beginning for the company that was popular as the brand that makes flagship-killers.

After incessant requests from owners, Xiaomi finally the released Android 10 update for the Mi A2 Lite over a month ago. The update was disastrous, however, and bricked a number of devices. The company has now released a new Android 10 build.

Additionally, the upcoming Galaxy Fold 2 will get a larger inner screen measuring almost 8 inch in diagonal and the reduced price is said to be Samsung's market adjustment measure due to expected declining sales in 2H 2020, which may also lead to reduced prices for the Note 20 and Galaxy S21 models.

OnePlus is upping its prices by £50 to £200. Thanks to UK retailer listings that went live early, we know that the OnePlus 8 will start at £599, £50 more than the OnePlus 7T. Want 256 GB with your OnePlus 8 Pro? Well, that'll cost you £899, £200 more than it did for the OnePlus 7T Pro.

Lenovo has launched the A7 in China. It is a considerable departure from your average smartphone, in that the processor here is from Unisoc. Not only that, but it has a swappable 4000mAh battery. It does not have a sale price as yet, but is likely to exhibit an ultra-budget one on its announcement.

The Exynos 990 is having a rough ride of it currently. Not only did Samsung snub the chipset for its home market, but there has also been a slew of reports about a flurry of issues affecting the Galaxy S20 Ultra. With complaints about the Exynos 990 version of the device piling up online, it now seems that the US$1,400 flagship can no longer run Pokémon Go, either.

International pre-orders for the earlier announced Nubia RedMagic 5G — successor to the RedMagic 3 and 3S — begin on the 4th of April, with the official release date set for the 21st of April. RedMagic is running a "blueprint" buying pre-order event, granting holders the right to purchase the device on launch and providing a discount.

OPPO has announced that the mid-range A91 smartphone will become available in Europe. It brings the combination of a MediaTek Helio P70 SoC, high-res quad rear cameras with a monochrome sensor and a 20:9 aspect ratio to the German market. It may be aimed at younger consumers, with a price to match.

Google is making certain apps available as progressive web applications available as the preferred option via the Play Store for Chrome OS. The development is seen as a win for open platforms and from a user experience perspective where some Android apps don't stack up on a larger display.

The LG G7 ThinQ is billed to start receiving the Android 10 update in South Korea sometime this quarter. There appears to be some good news for owners of the flagship in the US, however.

Lenovo is now linked to the release of a new smartphone that will be part of its iconic Legion gaming brand. A new, allegedly official, poster that indicates an unfeasible-looking charging rate for this device has found its way onto Weibo. However, it is at odds with the speed the OEM had mentioned earlier.

The OPPO Ace2 has been introduced via live-stream in China today (April 13, 2020), as promised. The new Snapdragon 865-powered phone launched alongside the AirVOOC charger, a new accessory that supports 40-watt (W) wireless power. Its OEM also debuted new TWS earbuds at this event.

Launching tomorrow alongside the OnePlus 8 series, the limited edition cases have been created in collaboration with André Saraiva. Part of the OnePlus x Andre series, the cases will inevitably come in OnePlus and OnePlus 8 Pro versions.

Motorola will finally unveil its flagship offering on April 22nd. It will very likely be the Motorola Edge+. The phone is expected to come with a waterfall display that has a refresh rate of 90Hz. Other features include a 108MP camera, Snapdragon 865 SoC, 5G connectivity, and more.

Vivo's iQOO sub-brand makes the Neo series of smartphones: gaming-focused devices based on flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Now, the company has announced its 3rd generation. This phone will stand alongside the Red Magic 5G at the top of the current mobile display refresh-rate charts.

Samsung is reportedly working on two selfie camera modules, one of which supports OIS. It is expected to make its debut alongside the Galaxy S21 next year. This will be the first time an OEM incorporates OIS in a phone's front-facing camera after Sony did it four years ago with the Xperia XA Ultra.

Huawei is one of the few Android OEMs still releasing tablets. Taking the fight to Apple alongside Samsung, multiple sources are claiming that Huawei has another two tablets in development. Apparently, the MediaPad M7 and MatePad T are in line for releases, with the former seemingly featuring the punch-hole display of the MatePad Pro.

Samsung recently updated is One UI Home launcher app to address a screen rotation issue affecting Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 users. The update also patches bugs affecting shortcuts and Task Changer.

US customers can save a whopping $350 on a Pixel 4 during Best Buy’s current 24-hour sale. The price is valid with a same day activation making it great value for a flagship handset.

The Mi Note 10 is a phone with a 108MP main camera sensor and a bigger battery than its flagship Mi 10 analog. However, Xiaomi has also been rumored to have a Lite variant of this device in the works. Now, official documentation from the FCC and NBTC confirms its existence, and outlines how it differs from the existing Note models.