Android

The Samsung SM-N770F has shown up on the Geekbench 5 database. This phone is thought to become the latest addition to the Galaxy Note 10 family. Its new leak shows that it is a 6GB device with the Exynos 9810 SoC.

The Samsung Galaxy M30s is a triumphant midrange smartphone. The phablet not only has a large, bright and colour accurate AMOLED panel but also class-leading battery, among other positives. If you need a smartphone to last over a day between charges, then the Galaxy M30s could be the device for you.

Oppo’s VP of Global Marketing Brian Shen has tweeted out the first official teaser for the forthcoming Reno3 Pro 5G handset. According to Shen, the device is 7.7 mm thin putting it on track to be the thinnest dual-mode mid-range 5G handset on the market when it launches next month.

Samsung has decided it wants in on the PC game streaming action. The company has just launched its own solution for streaming PC games to its Galaxy smartphones called PlayGalaxy Link that works over both Wi-Fi and Cellular networks.

Xiaomi has secured 3C approval for a new smartphone with dual-band 5G. Furthermore, this device - which comes in 2 variants - has a maximum charging rate of 66 watts. Therefore, it is likely that this product may be a new flagship, or a high-value mid-ranger at least.

The LG G8X ThinQ could be a dream come true for some people. The handset comes with a second screen, following on from the V50 Dual Screen accessory that LG launched at the start of this year. The G8X ThinQ is more than just another gimmicky folding smartphone though, as we discovered during our tests.

Honor India has announced a new beta program for the 8X. It allows participants to test a new version of EMUI based on Android 10, on their devices. However, it is only open to the phone's 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage variant at present.

Xiaomi already announced a 50X zoom lens, but Vivo now wants to push the limits even further with a 60X hybrid periscope lens. The latest teasers show that periscope lens is separated from the other rear cameras and is also not protruding thanks to system that includes light prisms. Vivo also plans to release a Pro version for the X30, which will feature more powerful rear cameras.

Having invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its foldable Infinity Flex Super AMOLED display technology, it makes sense that Samsung is keen to deploy it in the marketplace where it feels it can gain some traction. Enter a patent for a foldable Galaxy Tab that is very similar to the Galaxy Fold smartphone, but larger and without a secondary display.

Samsung has sent out a ton of One UI 2.0 beta updates to the Galaxy S10 phones, so it makes sense that the phone will be the first to get the stable Android 10 update. The complete, official update roadmap for Samsung's Android 10-based One UI 2.0 rollout is here.

Huawei and Honor began sending out the Android 10-based EMUI 10 and Magic UI 3.0 updates to their current-gen flagships. At the Honor V30 launch yesterday, Honor revealed its release roadmap for the Android 10 update and there are a few surprises in store, with just 13 devices billed to get the update.

The Samsung Galaxy S11+ has appeared in some renders and a video published by CashKaro in conjunction with @OnLeaks. The well-crafted images show the forthcoming flagship smartphone with a central punch-hole front-facing camera and a huge housing on the rear for the penta-lens camera setup, which apparently features a laser-focusing module.
Update: Another noted leaker has claimed that these S11+ renders based on CAD drawings are wrong.

Google introduced Ambient Mode for the Assistant at I/O 2019. It is a kind of alternative interface for Android devices that makes them take on the functions of a smart display. This can involve a revolving series of screens showing calendar information, photos or other content.

Google's Pixel 4 exhibited various flaws in our test while at the same time neglecting important smartphone core competences. What good is innovation if the phone cannot even last until the end of the day?

Smartphones with curved displays reaching over all four edges of the device will be the prevailing trend in 2020 according to a well-known tipster. While the “waterfall” design has the screen tumbling over the right and left edges of a smartphone, the “quad-curve” design will utilize the top and bottom edges, too. Some have questioned the utility of such a curved smartphone display, though.

MediaTek finally demonstrates that it can design efficient and affordable flagship SoCs that can easily compete with Qualcomm's and HiSilicon's flagships. Apart from the integrated power efficient 5G modem, the latest MediaTek SoC offers an advanced gen 3 APU for A.I-powered applications. It will also be among the first chips to integrate the new Mali-G77 GPUs.

Huawei sub-brand Honor has taken the wraps of the all-new V30 and V30 Pro. The new devices both sport support for 5G with the Pro model equipped with the latest HiSilicon Kirin 990 with integrated 5 G modem.

The 5G SoC will support 90 Hz QHD displays, up to 16 GB of quad-channel LPDDR4x RAM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, hexa-core AI processor, download/upload speeds of up to 4.7/2.5 Gbps, and more with the promise of faster performance than the current Qualcomm Snapdragon 855.

A new report from market analysts Canalys has revealed incredible results for Xiaomi in the European smartphone market: The Chinese manufacturer has witnessed annual growth of 73%. In India, Xiaomi is currently the number 1 smartphone brand for overall market share, on 27.1%. This is likely to increase with the impending release of the Mi Note 10 with its 108 MP camera.

Huawei has unveiled the MatePad Pro today (November 25, 2019). It is a 10.8 tablet with a resolution of 2560x1600 and a punch-hole selfie camera. This new slate comes in 6GB or 8GB RAM SKUs and has LTE or Wi-Fi only options. It can be pre-ordered from today, but only in its home country.

Realme's CEO, Xu Qi Chase, has announced the X50 via Weibo. This upcoming phone is to be the first phone to launch under this brand-name with 5G. This phone may also have a dual punch-hole selfie camera, and may offer an "advanced experience".

The Google Pay app has been updated so as to display a message should a given phone be ineligible to conduct transactions using this method. This notification would apply to users who have rooted or otherwise modified their devices in a way that causes it to fail SafetyNet requirements. In addition, upcoming updates to this app will also be able to PIN-protect online shopping done through it.

Sony makes some of the best smartphone camera sensors, so one would expect the company's flagships to offer excellent camera performance. That could not be farther from the reality of the matter, though, as Sony has consistently shown to be two years behind the competition in terms of real-world smartphone camera performance.

The Nokia 9 PureView was an ambitious device that mostly fell flat on its face due to a number of factors. HMD Global is working on the successor to that device, the Nokia 9.1 PureView, and we finally have our first look at a phone that's set to walk the same path as its predecessor.

If you were asked what smartphone delivers the best audio experience, you'd probably go with the iPhone 11 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, or, perhaps, the LG V50. Well, DxOMark has other ideas, and consider the Huawei Mate 20 X the true king of smartphone audio.

The gaming-centric Android smartphone launched in gray, red and purple color options for a more striking visual appeal. Users who just want a simple black option have finally gotten their wish with the new subtle Eclipse Black color option.

Xiaomi has been busy rolling out its MIUI 11 firmware on devices from its lineup, delivering many welcome changes to the previous iteration. However, one potential hiccup has been spotted in regard to the updated fast charging symbol. The new icon, which consists of two lightning bolts placed together, looks somewhat reminiscent to the insignia of one of history’s most reviled organizations.

OnLeaks has produced renders of what will probably be the cheapest variant of the Galaxy S11 series should it be released. They suggest that this S10e successor will have a Galaxy Note 10-esque screen, as well as a main triple-camera set-up in the OEM's new rectangular housing. This phone is thought to have the same SoC as other upcoming Samsung flagships.

Google's updated Android Security Rewards Program now offers up to six-figure rewards for reporting potential severe exploits that affect its Titan M security module. It applies to such discrepancies that can affect the Pixel 4, 3 and 3a smarphone series. Other similar bounties include up to US$250000 for Secure Element or Trusted Execution Environment hacks.

OnePlus has sent an email to "some of" its customers advising them of a lapse in data protection at the company. In this case, it appears passwords and payment details are safe; however, personal information associated with these consumers may have been stolen. The OEM has asserted that it is investigating the issue and will be tightening their security in the future.

In our review of the Note 8 Pro, the mid-range phone achieves convincing results in many areas, although despite or perhaps due to the MediaTek Helio G90T, it is not a gaming smartphone.

A phone called the Vivo V1938T has gained 3C certification in China. Given that it has dual-band 5G, this device is most likely the X30 or its Pro variant. This series is also now rumored to have quad cameras with a 60MP sensor, a 4500mAh battery and at least 8GB of RAM.

Microsoft has announced that it has secured a license from the US government that allows it to sell its products to Huawei again. This will, for example, enable the OEM to put Windows on future generations of its MateBooks. The Redmond giant is among the 25% of the companies who have had their applications to work with the Chinese company approved.

OnePlus has released its Open Beta 6 software update for the 7 and 7 Pro. This version of OxygenOS confers the latest security patch levels on the 2 phones. It also introduces a setting to disable Zen Mode, as well as some fixes for the series' in-display fingerprint scanner.

The Galaxy A71 appears to combine the rear camera bump design from Apple's iPhone 11 models with the display similar to the one found on the Galaxy Note 10 that has the punch-hole selfie cam placed in the upper center. Since the A70s already sports a 64 MP sensor, the A71 is expected to include at least the same sensor plus 2 additional smaller ones and a 3D TOF on top.

The time has come for Huawei fans to act, as the Chinese company has officially brought the Mate 30 Pro to EU shores. The handset comes without Google Mobile Services, while its release is limited to Spain for the time being. However, this could well prove to be a trial run to see whether Europeans are prepared to pay flagship prices for a smartphone without Google Mobile Services.

Vivo recently launched a new phone as the S1 Pro in the Philippines. Unlike the device sold under this name in China, it has the Snapdragon 665 processor and quad rear cameras. The newer version is also now rumored to be released to the Indian market soon.

OPPO may have an equivalent to Samsung's Exynos SoC line in the works. This is in line with a new report that the OEM has registered the name M1 in relation to this product category with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). This hardware could thus join or even replace Qualcomm silicon in future phones from this company.

The Realme XT is this brand's first 64MP quad-camera phone. It has finally come to European shores, although it is exclusive to eBay Germany for now, and starts at €259 (US$289) for a 6GB/64GB SKU. In addition, Realme has announced that it will be bringing the 5 to Europe in time for Black Friday.

A new Samsung device with the model number SM-G770F has been approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This identifier has been linked to the "Galaxy S10 Lite" since the first rumor about this putative phone ever started. Its new certification confirms its apparently paradoxical 6.7-inch display.

Huawei has officially acknowledged the MatePad Pro product name in full. Its latest Weibo video shows this tablet in action, showcasing some features such as split-screen apps and M-Pen support. The new promo also reveals that the first MatePad has dual rear cameras and will have a keyboard cover accessory.

Sony is planning on introducing four flagship smartphones next year if multiple sources are to be believed. However, the company potentially plans to split the release of the quartet across three dates, which may be up to seven months apart from each other. All will feature the upcoming Snapdragon 865 SoC though and 5G capabilities. Tell us, what is going on with Sony right now?

Want to lose money quickly? Well, the OnePlus 7T trade-in scheme would be a good way to go about it. You can get up to US$370 in credit for trading-in a 256 GB OnePlus 7 Pro, a quite frankly ludicrous amount of money for a six-month-old US$799 handset.