Android

After 20 years since its 1998 release as Yahoo Pager, today's Yahoo Messenger — a Verizon property starting in 2017 — will be shut down in about five weeks. Although there is no official replacement for this iconic product, its successor might be Squirrel, a messaging app which is currently being tested by a few chosen ones.

A user on Reddit has narrated the tales of their trip into China, which saw the country’s border police accost them and install what was almost definitely surveillance software on their Android devices.

HTC released its sales numbers for the month of May, with the company recording close to a 50% drop in revenue from the same period in 2017. Revenue for the first five months of the year was equally distressing, though things are likely to pick up as the U12+ goes on sale this month.

Essential has announced the release of its new Audio Adapter HD. The small adapter can be attached to the PH-1 and allows users to plug in a 3.5mm cable for an MQA-certified audio experience.

Live images of the prototype of the upcoming Pixel 3 XL have surfaced. The device appears to keep most of the form of its predecessor but will feature a notch. There's also only one rear camera.

iPhone X clones are a dime a dozen, and the latest device to join that hallowed list is the subtly-named Ulefone X. The new device may be a shameless clone but it does look good on paper, which is more than can be said for a few other devices in that niche.

Following Trump's intervention, ZTE has finally been granted a lifeline out of its current dire straits. The Chinese company has been ordered to pay a massive US$1.4 billion fine for its misdemeanours that saw it hit with a trade ban a few months ago.

Live images of Nubia's upcoming flagship, the Nubia Z18, have surfaced, revealing everything the device has to offer. Slim bezels, a chin, and a notch are some of the biggest talking points.

The guys over at Mobile91 got their hands on 36-degree renders for the Note 9, and it looks like the rumors were spot on about virtually unchanged designs when compared to the Note 8. The front was already leaked by Ice Universe in May, but now we get to see the back and it it's almost the same, as well, with the small difference in the position of the fingerprint sensor.

Motorola has finally unveiled its latest device, the sub-premium Moto Z3 Play. The smartphone is definitely solid on paper but its five hundred dollar price tag may be off-putting to some.

HMD has proclaimed its dedication towards providing steady updates for its devices. The company has promised that all of its devices will receive the update to Android P when it's released—yes, even devices like the sub-$100 Nokia 1 and Nokia 2.

According to multiple user reports, the patch for the Google Pixel 2 XL that was issued two days ago made this flagship device slower when waking up from the sleep mode via both the power button and the fingerprint reader. Fortunately, it seems that no other Pixel or Nexus device has been affected by this bug.

The new LG Q Stylus will be available for purchase later this month in North America and Asia, followed by other regions in the third quarter. This 6.2-inch phablet will hit the market in three variants: regular, Plus, and Alpha. All three will feature the same FullVision display with 2,160 x 1,080 pixels, a 3,300 mAh battery, and Android 8.1 Oreo.

Tipster Evan Blass has revealed the complete specifications sheet of the upcoming BlackBerry KEY2. The device makes a number of improvements on its predecessor but also comes with a price tag one would expect to find on a flagship.

Over the past month, Lenovo carried out a subtly engaging media campaign for its upcoming device, the Z5. That device was unveiled yesterday, however, and it would seem that most of the company's claims were pure hogwash.

Google is said to be working on a new mid-range Pixel device. The device is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 710, and could have a slight touch of Xiaomi on it.

(June 7 update with OnePlus statement) Irate owners in Germany have started a petition requesting Voice over LTE and WiFi calling features to be enabled on their new OnePlus 6 devices. OnePlus has clarified that its OnePlus 6 is already equipped with the necessary bands to support such features. Instead, it is the carriers that must support VoLTE and WiFi calling for the latest smartphone.

The upcoming Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite is expected to debut as a larger Mi A1 because it sports the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and up to 4 GB RAM/64 GB internal storage. However, its generous 5.99-inch display has a notch and a 2:1 aspect ratio, providing a resolution of 1,080 x 2,160 pixels.

There were recent rumors that Sony had been working on new Android-powered tablets that were known as the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5C. However, apparently the Japanese tech giant has now decided to shelve the idea of releasing new tablets onto the market because of the lackluster sales for premium products such as the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact.

Bloomberg informs that sources familiar with Samsung's plans claim that the Note 9 is going to be officially unveiled on August 9. The phablet might not be so different from last year's model after all, but at least it is getting a SoC upgrade, improved battery and even an improved rear dual camera, according to Bloomberg's source.

The mid-range Samsung Galaxy A6 (model number SM-A600A) is supposed to hit the US via AT&T, reveals Evan Blass. Sadly, he did not mention a price tag or a date of launch. This 5.6-inch handset ships with Android Oreo onboard and sports a few premium features, such as Samsung Pay, Face Recognition, Bixby Vision, and Dolby Atmos audio.

The Asus ROG Phone is the most customised gaming phone to-date. With an advanced 3D vapor chamber design, overclocked Snapdragon 845, 90 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time, user-customisable ultrasonic frame buttons, and a re-orientated port layout that favors horizontal usage. Asus as also announced a range of peripherals to improve the gaming experience.

Released in South Korea back in March 2010, the action MMORPG title shortly known as Dragon Nest arrived on Android a few months ago, but it was only available in South Asia since then. Now, Dragon Nest M (from "mobile") can be finally enjoyed by Android users all over the world as a free game (with optional digital purchases, of course).

Google silently removed the Tablets heading on the Android website, indicating that the tech behemoth may no longer push development for tablet features. This could be another sign that Google is planning on merging ChromeOS and Android, eliminating the need for tablets altogether.

A tweet from Asus ROG can be seen as evidence that previous rumors about the planned release of an ROG gaming phone are correct. The tweet shows an unknown phone attacked to a gaming controller, which leaks suggest is equipped with a Snapdragon 845, 8 GB of RAM, and a possible 120 Hz display.

Samsung is finally acknowledging the arrival of the in-display fingerprint sensors with the launch of next year's premium smartphones. The Korean company has closely been working with Qualcomm to deliver what they call the ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, which will be using updated OLEDS that include the Snapdragon Sense ID 3D.

Using the 7 nm manufacturing process, the new ARM Cortex-A76 CPU will bring "laptop-class" performance to handheld devices. The new CPU features a totally new architecture that delivers 35% increased performance, 40% improved power efficiency and 4 times increased machine learning workloads for the upcoming "always connected" Windows on ARM PCs.

According to Roland Quandt, the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are set for an August/September launch. Both devices are also going to built by Foxconn, the Taiwanese company most known for manufacturing iPhones.

Xiaomi, yesterday, released a trio of devices in its Mi 8 lineup. The Mi 8 SE is the cheapest and least powerful of the devices but still manages to offer unbeatable value, especially considering its sub-$300 price tag.

Vivo has unveiled its latest device, the Vivo Y83. While mostly unspectacular, it will go down as the first device to be powered by MediaTek's mid-range Helio P22 SoC.

Alongside the Mi 8 reveal, Xiaomi also showed off a limited edition Mi 8 Explorer Edition. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition features an in-display fingerprint sensor and a transparent back that reveals the innards. The Mi 8 Explorer Edition is limited to China as of now and will be available only in defined quantities.

Xiaomi has taken wraps off its newest flagship model, the Mi 8. The Mi 8 comes with the latest Snapdragon 845 chip, dual cameras, and a dual GPS system. The Mi 8 gets launched in 8 other markets apart from China and packs most features found in other expensive flagships. While the design is reminiscent of the iPhone X, the smartphone looks to be priced quite competitively and should rake in good numbers for the Chinese major.

Starting at less than US$125, the new Meizu M6T is powered by the outdated MediaTek MT6750 processor, but its main selling point is the 13 MP + 2 MP main camera setup on the back. This 5.7-inch handset also has a 3,300 mAh battery and a traditional audio jack, but it is only available in China for now.

A report from the research company Gartner has stated that global sales of smartphones in the first quarter of 2018 have risen slightly from figures issued in the same quarter of 2017. Over 383.5 million smartphones were sold in 1Q18 compared to 378.5 million units sold in 1Q17. Samsung was the quarter’s largest vendor, with 78.5 million sales.

Although the OnePlus 6 has been well received and provides an excellent value, the fingerprint and the PIN/password remain the safest methods of unlocking it. A recent statement coming directly from OnePlus makes it clear that face unlocking alone cannot deliver an optimal level of security yet.

OnePlus promises dust and water resistance without any IP certifications for its latest flagship. This obviously raises some red flags, but a detailed teardown of the smartphone reveals that it's properly sealed not unlike competing smartphones with official IP67 certification. OnePlus may have waived the certification process to cut costs and keep prices as low as possible.

HMD has officially launched the Nokia 2.1, 3.1 and 5.1 smartphones. The Nokia 2.1 and 3.1 are the more affordable of the three and carry Google's Android One branding. The new 5.1 is a slightly more expensive model machined from a single block of aluminum.

A render of a smartphone currently known as the Motorola One Power has been leaked. The image shows a device with slim bezels, a notch and a dual-camera setup on the rear. The Android One logo can be seen on the back case, whilst the Motorola brand name is visible on the front. No specifications for the phone have been revealed yet.

The Samsung SM-G8850 handset that recently visited the offices of the Chinese telecom authority TENAA has now surfaced online in a short hands-on video. Although the processor inside it is still a mystery, most of the other specs — including a 6.28-inch Super AMOLED display and a 24 MP + 16 MP main camera setup — have been (unofficially) confirmed.

Huawei seems to be ready to join the gaming smartphone craze with its upcoming Honor Play model. The latest smartphone teaser posted by the Chinese company on Weibo emphasizes the AI functionalities that should bring a "groundbreaking" 4D gaming experience. However, it looks like the Honor Play might have been spotted at TENAA, but the specs are mid-range at best.

Images of the supposed screen protector of the Pixel 3 devices have surfaced, throwing more light on what we should expect from the devices, including a notch and dual selfie cameras.

The LG V30S was unveiled back in February and went on sale in the US a short while ago. Its MSRP of US$930 was always a tad ridiculous, so it's no surprise that it's price has currently dropped down to US$680—which still isn't a very attractive proposition.