Android

Samsung's just launched it's latest rugged smartphone —the Galaxy XCover Pro. The device comes with a removable battery and two programmable buttons. It will be available in Europe starting February 1st for €500.

Xiaomi is not only rolling out Android 10 to the Redmi Note 8 Pro, but the device is also receiving a fresh look. The former is available to download now, while the latter will arrive tomorrow with 128 GB of storage and 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM.

Israeli startup Adshir claims that its "algorithmic" LocalRay ray-tracing solution can be scaled to run on 2W smartphones. At CES 2020, the company showcased a non-RTX graphics card running LocalRay demos at 60 FPS. Is LocalRay set to transform ray-tracing in gaming?

Xiaomi left the Mi Mix 3 on Android 9.0 Pie last year, despite upgrading it to MIUI 11 in October. While Android 10 has found its way onto the device now, there are some quirks.

Sony may have abandoned the XZ1 series, but it has delivered on its promise to bring Android 10 to more of its recent devices. The Xperia XZ2, XZ2 Compact, XZ2 Premium and XZ3 now all join the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 on Android 10, with the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus likely following suit before the end of this quarter.

MediaTek has expanded the range of Dimensity processors with the new 800 series. They are 8-core chipsets designed to power phones with up to 4 cameras, 90Hz displays and sub-6GHz 5G. The new 800s also feature "flagship-grade" GPUs and new APUs for AI tasks.

OnePlus has come to its first CES event to unveil the Concept One. This device is built around the idea of color-shifting glass, and how it can be integrated into a phone to hide the main cameras while not in use. This material is found in a backing that also features leather in the OEM's brand-partner McLaren's signature shade of orange.

Zendure has put its latest product, the MIX GO, up for crowdfunding on Indiegogo. It is a 5000mAh power bank that can also plug into the wall to power devices compatible with 45 watt (W) charging. Not a brand new concept, admittedly, but this version is also equipped with state-of-the-art gallium nitride (GaN) technology.

Realme has unveiled its first 5G phone today (January 7, 2020), as expected. However, the OEM did have more of a surprise to drop on the audience at the X50's launch: it is also the first phone to ship with Realme UI. This is a new software skin, although it is still based on ColorOS 7/Android 10.

The Nokia 6.2 is a cheap mid-range smartphone from the Android One program. Thanks to a minimal and well-optimized user interface, even the relatively low-end Nokia phone runs smoothly.

Oxygen OS 10.3.0 addressed multiple issues for the OnePlus 6 and 6T, but it also broke the notch hiding feature that had been present in Android 9.0 Pie builds. While OnePlus is yet to fix the problem, there is a workaround that may do the trick.

CES 2020 remains underway, but that has not stopped OnLeaks from leaking Sony's next flagship smartphone. Potentially called the Xperia 5 Plus, referred to as the Xperia 5.1 in previous rumours, features a 6.6-inch OLED display that retains the 21:9 aspect ratio of last year's Xperia 5. The Xperia 5 Plus looks like a svelte flagship in our opinion, but what do you think?

Have you been waiting for Android 10 to reach your Redmi K20 or Mi 9T? Well, the wait is over, as a new MIUI 11 build based on Android 10 has started rolling out globally. The 2.2 GB build brings other fixes and changes to both handsets too.

Samsung's newly-released Galaxy S10 Lite just made an appearance on Indian e-commerce website Flipkart. The listing only highlights some key features of the Galaxy S10 Lite and says nothing about its price and release date. Rumors say that it should cost around $650.

The B250i is Acer's latest projector. It uses LEDs to throw a FHD image at a brightness of 1000 ANSI lumens. The OEM has also outfitted it with 5W speakers, passive radiators and in-house TrueHarmony and Waves Maxx Audio technology.

Lenovo announced two new Chromebooks. The IdeaPad Duet Chromebook is a compact Chrome OS tablet with a detachable keyboard. The IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook is a 360-hinged 2-in-1 that is Project Athena certified. Both Chromebooks will be available in Summer 2020.

Lenovo announced the 2nd generation of its Smart Tab M10 Android tablet. The tablet comes with a speaker dock and the Google Assistant, allowing the tablet to operate as a smart speaker with a display when docked. The tablet runs on modest hardware, including a MediaTek Helio P22T Tab SoC.

Lenovo's new Smart Frame is a digital photo frame with an A.I. twist. The frame runs Android 10.0 and can connect to a user's Google Photos account to display their snapshots and movies. Some A.I. software in the background helps curate and adjust the pictures on display.

Samsung insider Ice Universe has started to drip feed specifications of the Galaxy S20 series of smartphones set to debut on February 11. A key feature just confirmed is that all of the three flagship models will feature Super AMOLED displays with a 120 Hz refresh rate for the first time.

Samsung's popular Galaxy A series is into its 2nd generation this year. A new leak asserts that one of these phones will be called the A01. It has allegedly been certified alongside less surprising upcoming phones such as the Galaxy A11 and M11.

A tip just posted to Weibo purports to have captured the housing for the Huawei P40's rear cameras. This component exhibits just 3 circular cut-outs, suggesting that the P30's successor will have this number of main shooters. A further leak indicates the presence of a P40 Lite, which may have a punch-hole display.

Vivo has already released 5G smartphones; now, it seems they are going for a third. A device called the "vivo V1963A" has appeared on Geekbench. Aspects of its processor match those found in a similar leak that may pertain to the Realme X50 5G, which will launch with the Snapdragon 765G processor.

Google’s Pixel 4a looks like it could be a sleeper hit for the company if purported early renders of the device are accurate. However, according to a respected vlogger, Google could be set to skip a 4a XL variant so as to avoid cannibalizing the sales of the higher-end Pixel 4 XL.

TCL is an OEM most likely to be familiar for its TVs. However, it also makes other display-based devices, phones included. A patent attributed to this company shows such a device with a screen that can be 'unfurled' due to its flexible panel.

The Realme X50 already stands out due to its dual-band 5G status. However, a recent registration with the Chinese telecomms body TENAA may show that it will add quad rear cameras to this spec, the main sensor of which is 64MP. There may also have a 12GB RAM option and a 4100mAh battery.

OnePlus will unveil its first-ever concept device at CES this year. Given the prevailing smartphone trends, it is tempting to believe that it will turn out to be foldable in nature. However, new OEM teasers show that it is a traditional slab, albeit one with interesting features such as main cameras that can hide under color-changing glass.

The Galaxy S20 (formerly known as the Galaxy S11) is set to debut on February 11 according to an official-looking Samsung Galaxy Unpacked teaser video found on the net by XDA’s Max Weinbach. The same clip also implies that there will be a second device launched at the same time, which is likely to be Samsung’s forthcoming foldable flip phone.

There have already been rumours about Sony's next Xperia handsets, which are due to start arriving as early as next month at MWC 2020. We may have been given a glimpse at the design of some Sony next Xperia smartphones courtesy of LetsGoDigital and a recent patent published on the WIPO Global Design Database too.

The 8BitDo Zero 2 is a tiny Bluetooth gamepad that's small enough to fit in a pocket or keychain to a bag. The controller is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, the Raspberry Pi, and the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite. Despite its diminutive size, 8BitDo claims the controller will last for 8 hours on a charge, which should take about 1-2 hours.

Our recent review of the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) revealed some weak points about Samsung's latest budget tablet. In particular, the performance of its SoC is not up to scratch and holds back the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) in daily use.

Xiaomi has unveiled its first smartwatch of 2020 already. The Watch Color has a 1.39-inch circular AMOLED display, and comes in black or silver. It is rated for 14 days' worth of battery life with normal use, and also has other potentially desirable specs such as Bluetooth 5.0, heart-rate tracking and NFC.

Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite smartphones today. Both phones have similar FHD+ screens and run flagship-level SoCs. Both phones also sport triple-camera arrays, though the shooter setup differs between handsets.

Samsung is bullish about the 5G smartphone market in 2020 quoting figures from Counterpoint Research to support its view. According to forecasts the market for 5G smartphones is expected to undergo substantial growth and will account for 18 percent of total sales, up from just 1 percent in 2019.

We knew Samsung was working on a 5G variant of its current flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6 but we didn’t know when it was coming. Samsung has now cleared things up at least a little by announcing it will hit the market in Q1 2020.

Chinese smartphone makers have had huge success globally, but one market they are yet to crack is the US. According to a new survey by Wave7Research, the US market is dominated by just two brands with Apple and Samsung swallowing up a whopping 90 percent of smartphone sales stateside.

Sina Mobile reports that Huawei managed to ship 12 million Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro units. The Chinese tech giant managed to ship these high volumes despite having been blacklisted by the US government. This raises questions about exactly where these units are being sold.

Chinese phone maker Xiaomi stated that it does not have an expected release date for its Mi Mix Alpha concept phone. The limited edition device, featuring a wraparound display panel, looks less and less likely to launch as attention increasingly shifts towards foldables. Will the Mi Mix Alpha ever come out?

Dell is promising further integration with its Mobile Connect application for those who have devices running on iOS. Currently, the iOS version of the service lags behind what is offered for Android users, but a free update scheduled for spring 2020 will give fans of Apple smartphones and the like an equal amount of functionality.

Klipsch has taken the wraps off its first pair of wireless over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. The segment is a popular one that is currently dominated by Sony with its WH-1000XM3 and Bose with its Quiet Comfort 35 II model.

In- or under-display fingerprint sensors are becoming more and more common among mobile devices. However, they are also mostly confined to AMOLED panels, which means getting this spec is likely to entail spending more on a new phone. Goodix, a company that makes these components, has announced that it is ready to mass-produce sensors that can work in LCD panels.

A new report published by a Chinese media outlet asserts that the flexible-display maker Visionox has agreed to supply its displays to the OEM Huawei. This agreement will apparently take effect from early 2020. Therefore, this brand (not to mention its subsidiary Honor) could start producing devices with next-gen screens very soon.

Realme is now touted to launch a new phone called the 5i in Vietnam in 2020. A Geekbench listing that might correspond to this phone shows that it runs Android 9.0 on 4GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 665 processor. Therefore, this device might be the brand's first budget offering of the year.

With the Tab M7, Lenovo shows that “low-priced” does not always mean “cheap”. The build quality of the Tab M7 is very good and the modern design makes all other low-priced tablets look obsolete. Unfortunately, the system performance is not very high, because of the intended purpose of the device.

OPPO has announced that there is now a "Trial Upgrade" of ColorOS 7 for the F11 smartphone series. This OS is based on Android 10, and is the first version to become available for these devices. Their users can apply to join this new beta via their Settings menus.

The Realme X50 is one of the first phones that will launch with the new, 5G-capable Snapdragon 765G processor. A new Geekbench leak may have spilled more of this phone's specs. It seems that it will have 8GB of RAM and probably feature the latest ColorOS Android skin.