Android

Google has released the latest version of Chrome OS, and it includes support for Linux applications for the first time. Also baked in is Google’s Material Design 2.0 theme, which brings Chrome OS a little more in line with the look and feel of Android.

A Dutch website claims to have laid its hands on official Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL images. They contain no surprises compared to the leaks on the same subjects that have gone before it. However, these images do show the phones in traditionally Google-like fabric cases.

aibo, Sony's robot in the shape of a puppy, is available from today (September 18, 2018) for purchase in the US. This event is being dubbed the "First Litter" release of the mechanical pets. Sony claims that aibo can learn to recognize up to 100 faces and develops a unique personality based on how it is treated.

Punkt, a designer electronics company, is now taking preorders for the MP02, a basic phone running a heavily stripped down version of Android 8.1. The MP02 is meant to be used for phone calls, SMS texting, and a few basic apps like a calendar and clock. Pricing is set at USD $350, which is a steep cost to ask for such a simple phone.

The 6-inch Meizu 16X is apparently ready for its September 19 launch, since it surfaced on Geekbench for no less than three times starting yesterday. However, there is only one hardware setup in these listings. The device tested sports a Snapdragon 710 processor, 6 GB of memory, and runs Android 8.1 Oreo.

Apple release iOS 12 today as a free update. The new version of Apple's mobile OS includes better AR support, automation via Siri, and performance optimizations. The update largely feels like Apple playing catch up with Android, which has offered some of the new features for years.

There have been so many leaks about Google's next generation of own-brand phones that we may think we know everything there is to know about them. However, a new leak, based on the code of a Japanese website, suggests that there may be more color options for the Pixel 3 (or 3 XL) than previously thought.

The (almost) tablet-sized Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is heading for India, as confirmed by the Chinese brand on Twitter. Unfortunately, there is no official launch date to talk about yet, but since this 6.9-inch behemoth has been available in China for a while, it should be able to hit other markets rather quick.

Traditional nano-, micro- or mini-SIMs have dominated mobile connection delivery for smartphones during the devices' rise in the 21st century. Now, however, ABI Research think eSIMs are going to start getting much more popular, mainly as a result of Apple's inclusion of them in their newest iPhones.

If the rumors turn out to be true, Samsung will soon release the first Galaxy A-series handset that uses the same processor as the latest Galaxy S and Galaxy Note flagships to hit the market. In this case, we are talking about a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-driven Galaxy A phone. Unfortunately, there are no other details available yet.

The Note 7 was recalled two years ago for a default that made the devices go up in flames. The new Note 9 may be set to follow the path its predecessor made, though, as a woman in New York has filed a case against Samsung, claiming her new Note 9 exploded in her purse.

Samsung's new Galaxy Note 9 is a US$1000 device but, according to DxOMark, it still fails to catch up to the significantly cheaper Huawei P20 Pro in the still photography department.

Display panels supposedly belonging to the Nokia 9 flagship and Nokia X7 sub-premium device have surfaced, with a major take being the absence of notches on both devices.

A display panel allegedly belonging to the upcoming Redmi Note 6 has surfaced, giving us what could be our first look at the next iteration in Xiaomi's best-selling mid-range series.

WhatsApp is working on a dark mode for its app, according to a Twitter-based leaker. The relevant posts project that this option will be OLED-screen friendly. Dark mode may also help save battery life while messaging on the app.

Razer is set to unveil its next-generation gaming smartphone, the Razer 2 on October 10. The device looks quite similar to the original Razer Phone, but is expected to feature upgraded internals including a Snapdragon 845 processor.

Around four months after the release of the Galaxy J4, Samsung is almost ready to launch the Galaxy J4+. This upcoming handset has just received its FCC certification and is expected to hit the market as the cheapest handset to feature an Infinity display, as well as software navigation keys.

Honor, Huawei's sub-brand, released its news smartphone, the 7S, into an initial flash sale with the online retailer Flipkart today (September 14, 2018). It took less than 7 minutes for all units of the phone to be ordered on this platform.

Carl Pei, the OnePlus CEO, confirmed the fact that his company's upcoming late-year flagship refresh will not feature a headphone jack in an interview with TechRadar. Pei claimed that user feedback had contributed to this decision. Accordingly, OnePlus' next branded headphones will have a USB type C connector.

Although it has grown to become an excellent Gmail alternative, Google's Inbox app remains an experimental piece of code. This means that Google is using the data provided by its usage to improve Gmail and, unfortunately, it seems that the internet giant has decided to discontinue Inbox at the end of March 2019.

Providing health- and wellness-related services to a crowd of over 65 million active users worldwide, Samsung Health has just been updated to version 6.0. This major release comes with a redesigned interface, updated tools, as well as a whole new range of personalization options.

The latest version of the Apple Watch (the Series 4) has just been released, promising upgrades in terms of hardware and features. Ironically, an equally new report from the analyst group ABI Research indicates that this device line is losing market share. However, the future of smartwatches in general is painted as increasingly rosy.

An analytics group recently polled 2200 adults early last month to study brand loyalty and how factors like income, age, or region may impact user decisions. Apparently, more than two-thirds of adults say they would stick to the same smartphone manufacturer for their next upgrade.

As Samsung pushed hard to introduce the first foldable phone this year, the S10 and Note 10 flagships did not receive significant upgrades, leaving the real innovations for 2019. The Note 10 will be among the first 5G smartphones from Samsung and it could come with a new bezel-less display that integrates an ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

The new Montblanc Summit smartwatch is scheduled to arrive in October, and what we already know is that it uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 SoC. Unfortunately, most other details — including its price — have yet to be revealed, but it will probably cost more than US$1,500 (the launch price of the model currently on the market).

An online retailer has posted a pre-order page claiming to list all the details on the upcoming OnePlus 6T, release date included. it describes a device with a teardrop notch, the Snapdragon 845 and triple cameras. However, some details on this 'leak' do not add up.

The 7-Eleven convenience store chain has just begun accepting both Google Pay and Apple Pay as digital payment options. Most of its stores will be able to handle transactions via these two services by the end of September. Until now, this store chain has been providing support for Samsung Pay.

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 4, a 5-inch rugged handset that arrived more than a year ago with Android 7.0 Nougat onboard, is finally ready for Oreo. The best part of the update that has started to roll out in a few Asian countries is that it brings Android 8.1 with the August 2018 security patch and Experience UX 9.5 on top — same as the Galaxy Note 9.

OnePlus has officially confirmed that its next device, the OnePlus 6T, will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. We expect the technology to be Synaptics' ClearID that has been seen on numerous OPPO and Vivo devices this year.

HTC is said to be working on a successor to its U12+ flagship. The device will reportedly be powered by a Snapdragon 855 and will boast of 5G capabilities.

Xiaomi could be set to unveil two new devices in the premium Mi 8 lineup, the Mi 8 Youth Edition and Mi 8 Screen Fingerprint representing taking up opposite ends of the price-feature spectrum

Google's next-generation Pixelbook 2 has leaked out ahead of launch by the company itself as part of a Facebook advertisement. Also present in the ad is what looks to be the notch-less smaller Google Pixel 3 leaving little to be revealed during Google's official October 9 launch event.

As the end of the fifth Fortnite season is drawing near, the start of the Fall Skirmish event is also heading our way. This competition will last for 6 weeks and the best players will have the chance to win a total of no less than US$10,000,000 (yes, that is 10 million). More details will be available later this week.

It's common for Android TV consoles to receive just a few OTA updates before being forgotten. The Shield TV, however, is now up to its 20th update with no signs of slowing down. Nvidia has added 120 Hz output, voice chat, and more UI tweaks to its aging Android TV product to make it an even better streaming box.

The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is likely to feature in many next-generation wearables. Qualcomm held a launch event for it yesterday (September 10, 2018). The company claimed it will bring improvements in battery life and usability. The Wear 3100 is also to be used by new, high-end players in the wearables game.

Qualcomm and partners such as Ericsson have been developing 5G for commercial use in (hopefully) 2019. The two companies have conducted data call tests for the latest release (15) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) using the new Qualcomm X50 modem.

LG's V -series has given us some of the most innovative smartphones we've ever seen, and the upcoming LG V40 is set to continue that tradition—in penta-style, too.

Huawei, and Honor by extension, ended support for bootloader unlocks a few months ago. However, Honor has re-opened the window for unlocks, but with a number of extremely limiting conditions.

A render posted on antutu.com shows a phone with Nokia branding and a total of 7 components arranged in a multi-camera rear-panel layout. Not all of these apparent parts seem to be cameras, but some may act as a flash or other image-capturing module. These rumors may stem from others concerning the Huawei Mate 20 and its triple-camera design.

The promotion puts the Razer Phone at just $400 USD for a limited time. When considering its fast Snapdragon 835 SoC, large 5.7-inch 1440p display, and the buttery-smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, the new price point is not that bad of a deal for what are essentially flagship specifications.

Device unlocking using an owner's face has become quite popular. Unfortunately, offering truly secure, flexible and effective facial scanning in your product can get difficult and expensive. MediaTek claims that its new take on this form of identification is neither, and is furthermore at least as good as Face ID.

Videos are easier to watch in a darkened room without the inevitable white background on which previews and other objects are shown in Android's YouTube app. This is now a thing of the past, however, as dark mode for the app on non-Apple phones is finally widely available.

The new Honor 8X and Honor 8X Max make 5.5-inch handsets seem really small because the 8X has a 6.5-inch display and the Max hits an insane 7.12 inches diagonal. The Honor 8X sports a HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor, while its larger sibling comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 inside. Pricing and availability details are not public yet.

With the release of Firefox 62, Mozilla also stops providing support to Firefox 52 ESR, which is the latest version for those still using this ancient operating system. Firefox 62 comes with support for CSS variable fonts and shapes, dark mode automatically enabled for macOS users, improved scrolling performance in Android, and more.