Android

A list of proposed rules put out by the U.S. Copyright Office would make jailbreaking devices like smartphones and smart speakers completely legal, if adopted. Jailbreaking, or circumventing DRM, is currently in a legally grey area. If these rules are implemented, then people could create their own tools to jailbreak a device for repair purposes. However, jailbreaking tools could not be distributed under these rules.

After years of users complaining about spam and irrelevant ads, Google will finally shut down the Nearby Notifications system on December 6th. Google said that the service did not meet the "high bar" the company holds to when delivering a user experience and will be shuttering the feature this winter.

The apparent full specification details of the upcoming OnePlus 6T smartphone have been shared online, along with some new marketing images of the device. The handset will be officially launched at a special event taking place in New York on October 29. Unsurprisingly, the spec sheet lists the device featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and running on Android 9.0 (Pie).

A leak on Weibo claims that the Galaxy S10 lineup will consist of 4 versions of the phone rather than the usual 2. One of these will be a 5G variant - with 12GB RAM. The Weibo poster also believes that the Huawei P30 Pro will have this spec.

With less than a week to go until its next major launch event, it appears that OnePlus has gained what could be a significant advantage for its next phone, the 6T, in the United States. The company has reportedly succeeded in its application for Verizon LTE certification.

The set of new features that have just been added to Google Files Go includes — but is not limited to — the following: advanced file browsing, secure app installs, faster sharing, and even a built-in media player that supports both audio and video files, as well as background audio playback.

Although it sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and up to 10 GB of memory, the 6.4-inch Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 launches without facial recognition or an in-display fingerprint reader, and the 5G variant is only supposed to hit the market in the first part of 2019. Nevertheless, this is an interesting device that starts below the US$500 threshold.

Samsung has teased a device called the Galaxy A8s at a recent launch event held in China for the Galaxy A9s and A6s. An image of the unexpected third smartphone was displayed at the event, which seemed to show a handset with a completely bezel-less and notch-free design. However, it has been rumored that the Samsung Galaxy A8s could utilize a hole rather than a notch for the front-facing camera.

In the last week before the OnePlus 6T's release, the leak- and rumor-mill around the device is still going strong. Most recently, a phone with a model number that could correspond to the phone has appeared on Antutu Benchmark. It scored about 10,000 more points than the OnePlus 6.

A week before the official unveiling of the Nubia X anniversary flagship, the Chinese company posted an infographic describing eight key features that recommend the upcoming model over the competition. Apart from the front and rear displays, the Nubia X will be featuring a flexible OLEDs, no selfie cam on the front (no notch), wireless charging, gaming-friendly specs and more.

Expected to roll out to Android and iOS devices in the coming weeks, Facebook Messenger 4 comes with a simplified white interface that only sports three tabs, and it also comes with the ability to add color gradients to chat bubbles. In the future, this mobile app is also expected to get a Dark Mode.

Rockstar Games has announced the Companion App for its upcoming release, Red Dead Redemption 2. This app connects an Android or iOS device to the console in question, and allows the player to view maps, stats and progress on their phone or tablet while gaming.

The Pixel 3 XL's display notch is a matter of taste at best, and a matter of tolerance at worst. Google's own rules for notch support in the latest version of Android stipulate only one of them per screen edge. However, some Pixel 3 XL owners claim that the software is not complying with them.

The XDA has gotten its hands on what appears to be the most recent beta for Android 9.0 (Pie) on the Samsung Galaxy S9. This build does not exactly introduce new features, but is reported to have fixed the significant bugs of the previous beta. They include failing navigation gestures and incomplete native night theme.

The first smartphones to use the Helio P70 are set to debut in November. MediaTek is promising numerous improvements over the P60 especially in regards to AI and deep-learning facial detection (DL-FD) for better camera performance.

iFixit has announced that it has partnered with Motorola to supply users with official DIY repair kits for its recent smartphones. The kits include either a battery replacement or a screen digitizer assembly replacement and give users the ability to extend the life of their device considerably.

Samsung may have completed work on the graphene battery with which it have been linked over the last few years. This next-gen power-storage technology may improve significantly on its lithium-ion counterpart in some respects. A well-regarded leaker believes that the Note 10 may be in line for these enhancements.

Misfit, the American wearables manufacturer, has unveiled official details about the upcoming Vapor 2 smartwatch. The wearable will come in two different sizes and feature a phone-free music player, a standalone GPS, and it will have a built-in heart-rate sensor. This useful device is currently advertised at a starting price of US$249.99.

HTC has launched its Exodus 1 smartphone, which features blockchain technology and a built-in cryptocurrency wallet. Those interested in getting their hands on an Early Access Edition of the device can sign-up now and pay with either Bitcoin (0.15) or Ethereum (4.78). HTC will start shipping the phone in December.

Since most major brands should be working on their first 5G handsets already, the fact that Carl Pei has recently confirmed that OnePlus is also set to release its first 5G phone next year is not a surprise. However, the co-founder of this popular brand is apparently not sure if the device will be ready in time for the first 5G wave.

Although virtually no flagship from a major brand comes with just two cameras nowadays, one of the three upcoming Galaxy S10 models is expected to feature a single camera on each side. On the other hand, the top-of-the-line variant apparently has a total of five cameras. In the end, this might be just another partially accurate rumor.

Qualcomm has taken the covers off the successor to its Snapdragon 670 for mid-range smartphones. The new Snapdragon 675 focuses on bringing features typically found in flagships to more affordable devices, particularly in the areas of gaming, imaging and AI.

Google and Apple can celebrate because the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and its non-Pro sibling will not give them a hard time in the US. Unfortunately for Huawei's US fans, the Chinese company has just confirmed that these two devices will not be available locally. However, European and Asian variants might be imported.

A leaked image from a private business event held by Samsung in China recently has shown off some of the display technologies that the South Korean company is working on. The four technologies mentioned in this instance are Fingerprint on Display (FoD), Haptics on Display (HoD), Sound on Display (SoD), and Under Panel Sensors (UPS).

With a 6.2-inch full HD+ display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, the Lenovo S5 Pro also brings two dual camera setups (one on each side) in the sub-US$200 price range, something that no major brand managed to do so far. Sadly, this handset might remain exclusively available in China.

Only available for Pixel devices until now, the Digital Wellbeing app is finally ready for Android One handsets. The problem is that it only works on Android 9.0 Pie, so only Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6.1 Plus users can enjoy this piece of code until additional Android One devices receive the update.

The Honor Magic 2 is likely to be released soon. It has been slated to come with an OPPO Find X-like sliding mechanism to hide its front-facing sensors behind a notch-free screen. Recent leaks and teasers from Weibo and TENAA indicate that it will also have next-gen camera technology

Although the technical details are shady at this stage, it seems that Samsung is working on an in-house GPU for its upcoming gaming handset. Sadly, there is no release date to talk about yet, but given the increasing popularity of this segment of the market, there is no doubt that Samsung will join the gaming phone sector as soon as possible.

Some pictures of Samsung’s clamshell phone, the W2019, have been leaked online. The images show a hefty-looking flip-phone that has two displays and dual rear cameras. Its high-end predecessor, the W2018, was only released in China and it did not come cheap. The basic variant of that W-series handset cost over US$2,400, and it’s likely the W2019 will also command a similarly high price.

In-house tests by 3DMark show Oppo falsifying performance scores for its latest Find X flagship smartphone and more. The news further damages the reputations of Chinese smartphone OEMs at a time when the U.S. government is already suspicious of telecommunication devices from China.

Last year, the Pixel 2 was hailed for its Samsung display while the Pixel 2 XL was heavily criticized for its LG panel. This year, though, it would appear that tables have turned, with the more expensive phone opting for the traditionally better display.

Sony sent out the Pie update to the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact and has gone a step further by announcing exact dates for the XZ1, XZ1 Compact, XZ Premium, XZ2 Premium and XA2 phones' Android Pie rollout.

Some Pixel 2 and 2XL units do not save the pictures taken using Google Camera properly, so that they do not show up in Photos or in the phones' storage. This is now apparently happening to some newer Pixels as well. This issue may be linked to the HDR modes and how it processes photos.

OnePlus had announced some time ago that its next product launch would take place in New York on October 30th. However, Apple has just taken that same date to release the new Macs and iPad Pro. The Chinese company has responded by moving its own event up by one day.

Most smartphone users know of his or her bad smartphone habits, but they just don't seem to care. More than half admit to texting while driving with many even pulling out the smartphone during job interviews.

As if the various taxes already in place are not enough, Android users in the EU will end up paying more for their phones starting next year due to the licensing fees that Google will start charging for devices that are activated starting on February 1. These fees will start at US$2.5 per device and can hit US$40, depending on the pixel density and market.

Samsung has shut down services in the past and will surely do the same in the future, so the fact that Family Square is going down is nothing out of this world. This app came with the 18.4-inch Galaxy View and its goal was to enable users to put images on a virtual wall, including from other devices connected to the local network.

Although this premium flagship sports quite a few attractive features, including a dual camera setup with OIS and specs that look great in theory, it failed to score more than 83 DxOMark points. While the test has shown that the G7 ThinQ's cameras can provide vivid colors and good exposure, the zoom and bokeh areas place it well behind its competitors.

The brand once owned by Nokia is back with the Vertu Aster P, a luxury handset that is all about status. Available in China for a bit over US$5,000, this handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and does not even have a dual camera setup on the back, but nobody buys Verty handsets for their specs, right?

Samsung has taken the covers off its successor to the Galaxy Book. The new Galaxy Book 2 also happens to be the rumored Windows on Snapdragon (WoS) device that Samsung has been said to be working on.

A freshly-submitted patent for Samsung may shed new light on how the company plans to handle fingerprint authentication in 2019. The good news is: It is in the display. The bad news is that it may not be the more state-of-the-art ultrasound version bandied about in previous speculations.

The music streaming service Spotify has finally pushed an update for the app used on Android smartwatches. This version takes on the functions users formerly had to turn to 3rd-party solutions for. For example, the new Spotify for Wear OS has an actual set of music controls, and also syncs speakers with them.

A special launch event is taking place today at the 5th avenue Microsoft Store with games and guest appearances from the eSports scene. Attendees will get the chance to play with the smartphone and even pre-order one in person.

Immediately after Xiaomi teased the release date for the Black Shark 2 gaming phone, the model allegedly got tested in Geekbench. As far as hardware specs go, the alleged Black Shark 2 appears to feature the same configuration as the original Black Shark and the Geekbench scores are very similar, as well. Alternatively, the Geekbench model could be the international edition of the original Black Shark that will be launched soon.

Google has detailed what is so special about the new Titan M custom silicon it has baked into the Pixel 3 to help secure the device. In its latest blog post since the official launch of the device, Google has identified four key areas where the new chip will protect users from attacks.

Asus has announced two new smartphones in the ZenFone lineup — the ZenFone Lite (L1) and the ZenFone Max (M1). Both these phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC and target budget smartphone buyers. In India, these phones will be available exclusively via Flipkart at discounted prices during the launch offer period.