Android

Evan Blass has received images of a desktop-like Android-based environment that has been in development at Motorola. Blass received a tip, including supporting images, from a graphic designer who has been working on the project.

Qualcomm has announced a new SoC for the burgeoning mid-range Android segment. Dubbed the Snapdragon 670 Mobile Platform, the new SoC has two high performance cores and six efficiency cores and comes with the Spectra 250 ISP for advanced imaging capabilities. The SoC also brings forth the Hexagon 685 DSP, normally found in the top-tier variants, for improved AI capabilities.

Android 9.0 Pie has just arrived, and Vivo is one of the first brands to reveal its update plans. According to the Chinese company, its handsets will get the update in Q4 2018. Insiders familiar with the matter claim that the Vivo X21 will probably be the first one to get the update.

Professional camera maker RED has created a lot of hype around the launch of its first smartphone, the Hydrogen One. The new device features what the company claims has a display capable of displaying 3D holographic images that work without the need for glasses. After first being teased last year, the device now has an official launch date.

The Razer Phone 2 might be launching sometime in December 2018 according to Razer Vice President Chen Xiaoping who revealed this information during the just concluded ChinaJoy entertainment expo. Given the launch timeframe, it is being speculated that the Razer Phone 2 might feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC.

The Mi Mix 3 is rumored to get a major display upgrade with Samsung's OLED screens instead of the usual IPS LCDs. The thin bezels suggest the existence of a pop-up selfie cam, while the rear would be getting an impressive tri-camera setup. The phone will also be among the first to integrate wireless quick charging and it will cost ~US$569.

The Pocophone F1 has not yet been officially unveiled, but it looks like the phone is already available on the Romanian site PC Garage. For only ~US$487 users can now get a Snapdragon 845 handheld with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB storage, a notched 5.99-inch 1080+ IPS screen, dual 12 MP + 5 MP rear camera setup, 20 MP selfie shooter and a generous 4,000 mAh battery with quick charge features.

Xiaomi's Director of Product Marketing, Zhi Zhiyuan, has confirmed that the company has no plans of releasing an Mi Max 3 Pro. Previous word claimed that the Pro variant of the newly launched Mi Max 3 would be powered by a Snapdragon 710.

Huawei has now launched its latest device in India. The Honor Play is notable for being the cheapest device to be released with Huawei's flagship Kirin 970 SoC.

It is likely that at least one of the next devices to be released by Oppo will be of the R17 line of phones. A Chinese certification may have given more weight to this rumor, and also indicates how the front panel of such phones will look. It will apparently include a display notch, albeit a minimal one.

A tech website claims to have found an invitation sent to content creators in Canada relating to the Pixel 3. If this leak is genuine, the new Android device's release will take place in October. However, the leak's contents fail to mention the other products rumored to also be included in the next Pixel line.

Android Verified Boot (AVB) was present on some phones with Oreo. Google have implemented it to protect against outdated security patches. The company will also impose it on new phones with Pie out of the box. AVB may also make non-stock firmware building more difficult.

Filings of a new Palm smartphone with model number PVG100 have made it to the FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance certifications. The specifications of the Palm PVG100 are still unclear but from the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification, it can be seen that the phone supports only the 2.4 GHz band implying either a budget or mid-range device.

The European Union is looking into the current fragmentation in smartphone connectors and has setup an inquiry to see if a single connector type can be mandated across all smartphones. While the issue of multiple plugs is almost passe, Apple's Lightning Connector differs from the standard micro-USB or USB-C connector that is common amongst Android smartphones prompting the EU to investigate if some sort of standardization can be achieved.

The Asus ROG gaming smartphone has gone up for pre-order in Finland giving us a first look at its pricing. The powerhouse device packs a vapor cooled Snapdragon 845 and 8GB of RAM and will retail for an eye-watering 999 EUR.

The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 has made its way to the AnTuTu benchmark posting an impressive score of 285302. This is higher than most Snapdragon 845-based flagships and could likely be the result of the liquid cooling mechanism that helps minimize throttling due to heat.

A recent smartphone sales report for the first half of 2018 by Sigmaintell Consulting shows that Huawei shipped more than 25 million handsets (out of a 100 million total) with a notched display during the given period, followed by Apple with over 20 million units. The third position goes to Chinese brand OPPO.

Android 9 is now available for all Pixel phones and is officially being christened Android Pie. This is the initial release of the OS and some of the features announced during Google I/O such as a Digital Wellbeing dashboard, and a revamped Do Not Disturb mode will be made available later.

T-Mobile has just added the US$350 LG Q7+ to its portfolio, but only the Moroccan Blue variant. This 5.5-inch, Qualcomm Snapdragon 450-powered handset comes with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, 4 GB RAM, and 64 GB internal storage. Those interested can also acquire it for 24 monthly payments of US$14 each (plus tax).

Apparently, Motorola has two mid-range devices in the works. One is the Motorola One, and the other is the Motorola One Power. Both are Android One devices but it remains unknown what actually separates them.

The biggest headline from Counterpoint Research's newest report on the smartphone market may have been Huawei's dethroning of Apple to become the second-largest smartphone company in the world, but equally impressive is HMD's showing in the global market.

Sony has released its sales numbers for the first quarter of its fiscal year. According to the report, the company's PlayStation division saw sizeable rises in income and profit but the reverse was the case for the floundering mobile division.

LG has launched the latest mid-range smartphone in its lineup to feature a stylus. The new LG Q8 (2018) takes its design cues from LG’s 2017 flagship, the LG G6, and also features a Hi-Fi Quad DAC for hi-res audio.

With less than a week to go until its August 9 launch, the Galaxy Note 9 is already all over the web, including an official product video that was unleashed — apparently by mistake — by Samsung itself. Now, an image of a Russian Galaxy Note 9 retail box confirms most details that we bumped into so far.

The much anticipated Fornite Mobile for Android will require a fairly powerful smartphone to run. The minimum requirements to run the game were found by XDA Developers while querying the entitlement API. Based on the resulting JSON output, an Adreno 530, Mali-G71 MP20, or a Mali G-72 MP12 or higher GPU is needed.

Smartphone users in India are reporting seeing an entry for a contact in their phonebook that purportedly belongs to a Government authority. The number apparently was added without users' consent and Google has now issued a clarification that this contact entry was 'inadvertently coded' in Android releases seeded to Indian OEMs. Google's statement, however, creates more questions than answers.

A new OTA update is rolling out to Asus Zenfone 5Z, which focuses on improving the camera capabilities of the smartphone. This update adds support for RAW capture, Panorama mode, and a host of other camera-related improvements, improved Wi-Fi stability, and bug fixes.

The Razer Phone 2 has not been officially confirmed yet. However, speculations about the second generation of this gaming phone already abound. They include hints at a late Q3 release for the device.

The processor supplier MediaTek have posted an increase in second-quarter profits; however, its sales may have been unchanged compared to last quarter. Accordingly, the company's CEO has predicted a slight downturn in MediaTek's main market for the rest of 2018.

Fortnite for Android is coming (eventually), but when it does, you won't be able to find it on the Google Play Store. Instead, Epic (the developer of the game) will distribute the APK on their own website in an effort to both re-establish a direct relationship with gamers and retain more revenue.

HMD may be set to open up shop in the US, with the Finnish OEM said to be sending out ads for a number of job positions based in the US. This move may mean we get to see more of the company's high-value devices in the US soon.

Samsung may be the biggest smartphone brand in the world but the company's policy on software updates is far from the best. According to a notice sent to users of Galaxy devices, a number of Galaxy A, J, and C smartphones will not receive the Oreo update till December—four months after the release of Android P.

OnePlus overtook Samsung and Apple to become the biggest smartphone brand in India's premium smartphone segment, with the OnePlus accounting for 30% of sales of premium devices in Q2.

HTC's smartphone sales have floundered globally over the past two years, and the company has finally closed shop in India. This is only relevant for smartphone sales, though, as the company's VR division still holds strong.

Motorola's 2018 flagship, the Moto Z3, will have an optional 5G add-on modem in the form of a Moto Mod that will connect to Verizon's upcoming 5G network. The Z3 uses last year's Snapdragon 835, but this helps to keep costs down.

The latest approved patents show full color rear displays that could be integrated on future entry-level and mid-range smartphones form LG and Samsung. Samsung's rear screen patent depicts a display half the size of the main one, while LG would only implement a smaller one above the rear camera. The flagship models would get flexible OLED displays that fold into dual screens.

Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Tab S4, which is aims to satisfy those who swear by Android tablets for personal and professional use. The Galaxy Tab S4 comes with the S-Pen, Snapdragon 835 SoC, and DeX support. The asking price of US$650 gets you the S-Pen but doesn't include the Book Cover Keyboard.

Samsung's new Galaxy Tab A 10.5 may play second fiddle to the Galaxy Tab S4 on paper, but the tablet is specifically marketed at families with children who may be more budget-conscious. The tablet's specs are fairly mid-range for 2018, but the inclusion of a "Kids Mode" and multi-user support makes the tablet well-suited for families.

Turing is back with a futuristic concept that might get launched in 2020, but most likely will not because the company has already filed for bankruptcy. The new HubblePhone would integrate all sorts of advanced technologies, including dual flexible OLED displays, one of which can swivel around to facilitate shooting videos and pictures.

Thanks to record-breaking P20/Pro smartphone sales and additional support from the secondary Honor brand, Huawei snagged Apple's second place for most handhelds sold in Q2 2018. The Chinese company also aims to break into the U.S. market, a move that could pose some serious problems for Samsung's leading position.

With its unique build and features, the Oppo Find X is a potential wave of the future. For example, it features a unique motorized pop-up camera However, it also rivals the iPhone X in terms of cost. Can its build quality justify its price tag?

The 3 and 3T were the OnePlus flagships two years ago. Despite this, their manufacturer appears to have committed to update them to the latest version of Android. The phones currently run stock Oxygen OS (OOS) based on Oreo 8.0.

Approximately 23 percent of all current smartphone users in the United States are using a Samsung model. Sales of the latest Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus smartphones, however, have been sluggish with a worldwide userbase that is less than one-third of the iPhone X.