Android

Fitbit has launched its second-generation Versa health and fitness smartwatch. The key upgrades include support for Amazon Alexa voice recognition and the addition of enhanced sleep tracking.

Samsung first mid-range 5G-capable smartphone will be the Galaxy A90. The new device will be an important device for the company as it looks to take 5G technology downstream in the hope of boosting its sales.

Xiaomi is slated to release a version of its popular Mi 9 smartphone with next-gen connectivity soon. A new report asserts that it will cost even less than the iQOO Pro 5G when it goes on sale in China. This second device starts at only 3798 yuan (~$540) at present.

The existence of the Samsung Galaxy A20s has been confirmed, as a device by this name has just gained Bluetooth SIG certification. In addition, a new model number that may conform to the rumored A71 has appeared on Geekbench. This listing hints at a 2020 release for this phone, as it is described as running Android 10.

The online retailer JD.com has posted a new page for a new member of the Honor 20 series. Known as the 20S, it has a new range of colors compared to the existing models available outside China. It has the same front-facing camera as the 20 and 20 Pro, but has 3 rear cameras where these phones have 4 each.

As part of Lenovo’s pre-IFA 2019 Berlin announcements includes a new Chromebook S340. The device comes in two variants, a compact 11-inch version and a larger 15-inch model

A handful of images of a new Sony Xperia smartphone have been leaked online. There has been speculation that this could be a first look at the successor of the Xperia 1, and the overall design language is certainly reminiscent of the 21:9 aspect ratio-boasting flagship from the Japanese manufacturer.

Samsung has sent a new device to the Wi-Fi Alliance for certification. However, this document does not confirm much about this device, save that it is a tablet with the model number SM-T545. The same number has cropped up in a Geekbench leak recently that pegged it as a Snapdragon 710-powered device with 4GB of RAM.

The Lenovo Z6 Pro is a quad-cam flagship with the Snapdragon 855 processor, and yet has not had much availability worldwide. This has been addressed somewhat with the announcement of a release event for this phone in India. It will be launched in this market with the K10 Note and A6 Note on September 5, 2019.

Huawei had faced the prospect of becoming unable to use the Android ecosystem due to a dispute with the current US government. However, most of its newer devices have subsequently retained the license necessary to do so. Unfortunately, Google has told the BBC that the upcoming Mate 30 series will not be granted access to the same.

Even as Redmi prepared for the Note 8 Pro's launch, Realme was reportedly sending units of its new XT mobile device out to some media outlets. It is the OPPO sub-brand's long-awaited 64MP quad-camera phone. Realme claims that it will be available for sale in September 2019.

The camera benchmark website DxOMark has just released its in-depth analysis and extensive review of the rear-facing and selfie cameras in the Xperia 1, and it is not good news for Sony fans. As we discovered in our recent review, the Xperia 1 has sub-par cameras for a modern flagship.

While it may currently seem unusual for OnePlus to introduce such a big change for an incremental hardware upgrade, the news comes from the reliable Ishan Agarwal. The OnePlus 7T will apparently feature a larger display with a small notch than its predecessor that will also operate at up to 90 Hz. The next OnePlus flagship seems a curious upgrade from the OnePlus 7 for other reasons too according to leaked specs.

Samsung discussed with the major South Korean carriers and is ready to launch the Galaxy Fold in early September in order to sync with the IFA expo in Berlin. Initial wave will include up to 30,000 units, but the majority is reserved for the South Korean market, and only a small fraction is supposed to ship to China and the U.S. in late September.

LG is pushing out a new update to the G6 H870S and H870DS, but it may frustrate people who have been wishing for an OS upgrade. While LG remains still hopeless at upgrading its older flagships to Android 9.0 Pie, it also seems content with releasing four-month old security patches too. Get your act together, LG.

The newest patents published by EUIPO reveal two possible designs for the 2020 Galaxy Fold models. One design is almost identical to the current Fold, except it has smaller notches. The other one features a horizontal hinge that enforces a form factor similar to a handheld console. It also has a centered upper notch and the outer screen is considerably larger.

ZTE has released its 2019 flagship, the Axon 10 Pro, to the United States market. It has either 8 or 12GB of RAM, runs on the Snapdragon 855 processor and has 256GB of internal storage. It is available via ZTE itself, as well as some other online retailers, and costs under US$600 for the base model.

A new Reddit post shows a messaging thread that may have taken place between a OnePlus representative and a second party. The former mentions the date now linked to the official release of Android 10, and references the OEM's plans to release its own version of this OS on the same day.

The respected tipster Ice Universe has tweeted a poster showing the top half of the finished Huawei Mate 30 product. This image has Chinese-language taglines and Leica branding, and shows that the phone does indeed have the long thin notch shown in earlier leaks. Its round camera is surrounded by a generous border.

Thanks to the modular design, users can replace and upgrade the main camera, speakers bottom sensors, top sensors, 5.65-inch FHD display, 3,000 mAh battery, and back cover. Spec-wise, the Fairphone 3 appears to be a lower-tier mid-range smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 632 coupled with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage.

Have you been wondering what new flagship this year now that Samsung has nixed the headphone jack? Well, Huawei may have the answer for you, and it may be arriving as soon as next month. Enter the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, with leaked case designs showing off the increasingly shunned jack in all its glory.

Despite the cards being stacked against it last quarter, Huawei managed to record an increase in smartphone sales of 16.5 percent for the quarter, while Samsung also saw a 3.8 percent bump. Apple, on the other hand, continued its downwards trend with a 13.8 percent decline in sales for the quarter.

The Redmi K20 series will get a 2nd generation, according to the brand's general manager. Furthermore, it will also get 5G. It is not clear if this will apply to all variants of the K30, or just one of them.

Amazfit has just launched 2 new wearables, the GTS and Sports Watch 3. They are a follow-up to the Bip (in which this update results in extremely Apple-esque looks) and a round watch with a new type of JDI display respectively. However, the star of this launch was the X, a concept device that is to have a 2-inch curved display.

Samsung is now rumored to have a new version of its existing Galaxy A70 in the works. This phone (which currently goes by the model name SM-A707F) appears to be extremely similar to its predecessor in terms of specs. Now, a new regulatory document includes the same model number, lending much more weight to the "Galaxy A70s" theory.

The two patents that Huawei filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office at the end of May — and were published last Friday — reveal one color scheme known as "Breathing Crystal" alongside a black/gray design. These color options might become available for other Huawei devices as well and should be unveiled in early September at IFA 2019.

The OPPO Reno2 is to be released soon during an event which will take place in India. It may be launched in several variants with different CPUs. This theory may be borne out by new leaks that show 2 different model names, 1 of which is linked to the new Snapdragon 730G SoC.

The Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi has been previewing the 48MP capabilities of its upcoming smartphone the Note 8. It has posted some attractive shots with a watermark indicating they were taken by the phone. One of its new modes, Super Night Scene, was also described as "shocking".

The One Zoom may be a device soon to be released by Motorola. It is projected to be a quad-rear-camera device with Amazon Alexa integration. Some new images, shared by the legendary leaker Ishan Agarwal, may show what this phone will look like.

Samsung may have divulged the existence of a heretofore unreleased phone, the A91. It is included in a list of phones that work with the OEM's new 45W charger, alongside the Galaxy Note 10+. This phone may be an additional variant, or next generation of, the Galaxy A90.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S6 Android tablet is up for pre-order in the US with some pre-order bonuses. These include four months of YouTube Premium as well as 50 percent off the keyboard cover if purchased at the same time.

Discord is now available on Samsung's proprietary mobile app store. It is intended to allow for video chats while gaming, and has been introduced as a novel feature on the new Galaxy Note 10 line. It requires that your Discord and Samsung accounts are linked on these devices.

Google's Pay app has a new update with a dark mode. This means it joins a group of additional Android services that have this new feature. The trend is being adopted in preparation for the next major upgrade for this mobile OS.

Vivo's premium sub-brand iQOO has released the Pro, which as it turns out has a 4G variant in addition to the expected 5G-supporting model. It is powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC and has up to 12GB of RAM. The Pro runs Monster UI, a new skin for Android 9.0.

Redmi launched its first ever laptop, a 14-inch ultrabook, not long ago. Now, it is destined for the launch stage again, in the form of a new variant with an updated Intel chipset. The brand has not specified which one it will be, save that it is to be a Core i7 from the new 10 series.

A new OnePlus phone will have cameras that are found in a single, circular module on the back of the phone. At least, this is what new renders from OnLeaks/PriceBaba indicate. These leakers speculate that the device in question will be the 7T, and, thus, will launch in mere months.

Password Leak Detection is an experimental feature in Chrome 78. It checks a given password against public databases of data breaches, in case of its use in a known security incident. Should this test prove positive, Chrome then offers a pop-up advising the user to change the password for the site or service in question.

Lava is an Indian smartphone OEM that has just released a new gaming phone. Called the Z93, it has 3GB of RAM and 32GB in internal storage, whereas many other companies in this space seem compelled to go for more in both respects. It also boasts the Helio P22 SoC, Android 9 and dual rear "depth-sensing" cameras.

The Liberate Air earphones are made from reclaimed silicone and have a bamboo finish. In addition, they have a charging case described as made from recycled aluminium, wood, cotton and plastic. These new House of Marley products are also reportedly superior in sound quality to the Apple AirPods.

Redmi has announced that its upcoming Note 8 Pro will rock the new, gaming-focused MediaTek Helio G90T SoC. The company asserts that this processor is more powerful than the comparable Snapdragon 710, albeit not the Kirin 810. The Note 8 Pro's AnTuTu scores appear to bear this out.

International betas of MIUI may have been terminated, but they are still going for Chinese users. Xiaomi has informed them that the last such preview build based on Android Pie (9.0) will be released on August 30, 2019. This suggests that the next beta thereafter will transition to an upcoming major software upgrade.

Huawei will allegedly introduce its next-gen flagship mobile processor at an event in Berlin during September 2019. This would coincide with 2019's IFA event. In other news from this OEM, it has also presented its new SoC for AI, the Ascend 910.

HMD Global is one of the more reliable and faster OEMs at delivering OS upgrades to its Nokia handsets and it is looking to maintain that reputation with Android 10 too. The company has announced plans to upgrade a slew of Nokia handsets before Q2 2020, with some devices reaching Android 10 before the end of the year. 17 devices should receive Android 10 before Q2 2020, although there are some notable absentees.

A Portugese YouTuber called Dudu Rocha has demonstrated what may be Samsung's next major software upgrade on camera. This ROM, which was shown in comparison to a second phone running One UI 1.0, exhibits an About page that clearly shows Android 10 as its OS version. If valid, it indicates that some Galaxy Note 10 features are coming to older flagships with this update.

The wait for Android 9.0 Pie continues for LG V20 owners, but it now appears that LG is finishing its testing for the OS upgrade. A new build has been finalised, with the initial Pie update reportedly coming very soon.

The CEO of OnePlus (Pete Lau) has confirmed that the first-gen TV from this OEM will launch in a month from now (August 2019). It will be released to the Indian market initially. A Twitter tipster claims to have dug its CPU, GPU and Android version info, which also applies to this region.

Did you buy a first-generation Google Pixel or Pixel XL manufactured before January 4, 2017? If so, then you can now file a class action compensation claim against Google for up to US$400. Your Pixel or Pixel XL does not need to experienced microphone and speakers issues for you to be eligible for a claim either. There are some caveats, though.
Update: Clarification added.

A device with the novel model number OPPO PCKM00 has appeared on the Geekbench website recently. It is described as having 8GB of RAM, the Snapdragon 675 processor and as running Android 9. This phone has attained a relatively good score for these specifications.

The Redmi Note 8 and 8 Pro will be released in China soon. A tech blog claims to have a document detailing the choices of colors and storage options available to either variant. It asserts that the Note 8 will start at 4GB of RAM, whereas the Note 8 Pro's base SKU has 6.

LG Electronics (LGE) has formulated a new worldwide patent license to make single- or multi-mode devices that use 3G, 4G/LTE, 5G or all of these. Under this new agreement, LG can now develop and sell these components based on the chipmaker's technology. Qualcomm has also recently achieves a 5G milestone in Japan in conjunction with Fujitsu.