Android

HMD Global has announced the Nokia 7 Plus — an upper midrange phone promising to offer flagship design and performance. The Nokia 7 Plus brings forward some of the imaging and audio prowess of the Nokia 8 coupled with AI-led features in an Android One package.

Finnish company HMD Global, has announced the new Nokia 8 Sirocco, the first flagship phone to be part of 'Android One.' Internal specs remain mostly identical, but the design has been revamped with impressively small bezels for a phone that retains the 16:9 aspect ratio.

Over the last few weeks, devices like the Nokia 6 (2018) and Redmi Note 5 have been launched. Fine devices they may be, but the fact they run on Android Nougat out of the box—six months after the release of Oreo—leaves a sour aftertaste.

Nokia fans of old are getting some more fan service this year. HMD introduced a remodel of the classic Nokia 8110 "banana phone," a slider phone originally released in 1996. The classic phone (which was fairly popular due to its curved shape, slide-out keypad cover, and appearance in "The Matrix" movies) gets a new shot at life in the form of a cheap 4G feature phone.

Alcatel has announced the release of three new devices in its 3-series line. The Alcatel 3 will retail for €149.99, the 3V for €189.99, and the 3X for €179.99. All three devices share similar features, with slight, cosmetic differences across them.

The new Huawei MediaPad M5 comes in two sizes (8.4 and 10.8 inches) and multiple connectivity/storage configurations. All models feature a HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor, 4 GB RAM, an 8 MP front camera, a 13 MP main image shooter, and run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box (with EMUI 8.0 on top, obviously). This new tablet comes with USB Type-C, but Huawei also decided to drop the 3.5 mm audio jack.

ZTE has announced the release of its two new devices, the Blade V9 and Blade V9 Vita. The V9 will be powered by a Snapdragon 450, while the V9 Vita opts for the less powerful Snapdragon 435. Both devices feature 18:9 displays, with the V9 showcasing a 5.7-inch FHD+ display, and the V9 Vita going with a 5.45-inch HD+ one.

Although some recent leaks claimed it would arrive as an Android Go device, the General Mobile GM 8 is now official with full Oreo onboard as an Android One handset. Its specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor, up to 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage, as well as a 5.7-inch display with 1,440 x 720 pixels. This Turkish handset is expected to hit the market soon for the equivalent of US$260 and up.

The upcoming successor to the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus will be the P20 and not P11. This was confirmed in a Huawei launch invite teaser, which confirms the March 27 launch date in Paris along with indications of a triple-camera setup. We are also treated to a press render showing off the P20 and a possible P20 Plus.

Introduced as the first sub-100 EUR (~US$125) handset from a major global brand to feature a 2:1 display, the Alcatel 1X is also the first Android Go handset to be unveiled at MWC 2018. Its list of specs includes a MediaTek MT6580 processor, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB storage. Despite the low-end cameras used (5 MP and 8 MP), the 1X comes with social-ready camera features such as Photo Booth, Instant Collage, and Social Square.

Mediatek could be looking to launch the Helio P60 at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona going by a Geekbench listing. The scores put the performance of the Helio P60 in close proximity to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660.

Google has used MWC to announce the that its ARCore SDK is now in version 1.0 allowing developers to start populating the Play Store with new AR-powered apps. The company says there are 100 million phone in circulation, with more to come this year, that support the technology.

LG has launched its modestly revamped V30 dubbed the V30S ThinQ. The new model is the first from LG to include new AI-inspired software features, largely centered around improving its photographic capabilities.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ have been the victim of many leaks over the past few weeks, and this latest leak reveals a launch video for the much-anticipated smartphones. The video confirms previous rumors and shows off the device itself, and it also presents an Enterprise Edition aimed at business users.

A teardown of the Redmi Note 5 Pro's firmware has revealed the famous “ro.treble.enabled" line in its build.prop, one that points towards the presence of Project Treble support in the build. MIUI is certainly divisive, so Treble support will boost the device's community support and enhance its overall package.

Archos has presented Archos Hello, the company's first smart home device. Hello is a smart display with a built-in battery for optional portable use. The device runs on Android Oreo with Google Assistant and will come in two different sizes.

Samsung has released an adjusted version of Opera Max, a mobile browser with a heavy focus on saving data by using compression techniques. Opera discontinued the browser last year, but it appears Samsung has given it a second life on its Galaxy smartphones under the name Samsung Max.

The MediaTek Helio P25-powered BLU Vivo X phablet is finally official. Currently available for purchase on Amazon for US$249.99 (17 percent down from a list price of US$299.99), this 6-inch phablet comes with a quad-camera setup and a 2:1 display. Just as the other handsets by BLU Products, it is fully compatible with the GSM networks of major US carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, MetroPCS, and others.

Almost a decade since the release of the first Android device, Google is rapidly expanding this ecosystem by adding branches for specific categories of users and devices. After the Android One initiative that aims to provide a stock experience and very fast updates, Android Go comes with low-end handsets in mind. Although a set of Go apps is already available, the first Android Go phones will be revealed next week at MWC.

The XZ2 and XZ2 Compact will be launched much earlier this year than they traditionally have been. Both devices will feature 18:9 "full-screen" FHD+ displays, a Snapdragon 845, and a single rear camera that supports 4K HDR recording.

Motorola's upcoming budget device, the Moto G6, has made the trip over to Geekbench. The device, powered by the Snapdragon 450 and running on Android Oreo, recorded benchmark scores typical for that SoC.

The Moto G6 Plus will pick up from where its predecessor, the G5 Plus, left off. We're massive fans of the G5 Plus and the G6 Plus looks to build on the things it did well. The G6 Plus will sport an 18:9 display, dual rear cameras, and a metal and glass body.

A teardown of the upcoming Mi Max 3's firmware has revealed details of the device's admittedly impressive features. The plus-sized device will feature an iris scanner and wireless charging, both features that have never been seen on any Xiaomi device till now.

Gartner has recorded a 5.6 percent decline in smartphone sales from Q4 2016 to Q4 2017. Key reasons given include a lack of good budget smartphone options and owners of more expensive phones opting for a longer phone lifecycle before upgrading.

The CAT S61 will be introduced at MWC 2018 as the direct successor of the CAT S60, which featured a VGA resolution FLIR camera with a -4 to 248 Fahrenheit range. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 630-powered CAT S61 brings this camera's top recorded temperature to 752 Fahrenheit degrees while pushing its resolution to HD as well. This phone also packs a laser-assisted distance measurement tool.

There will be two backplate modules upon reelase, but Land Rover will be expanding the module roster in the future. The Explore comes with off-road maps from ViewRanger and is powered by a 2.6 GHz deca-core MediaTek Helio X27 SoC coupled with 4 GB of RAM / 64 GB of storage.

LG K8 and LG K10 have been around for a while, but these two affordable Android handsets will soon get updated. LG has just made an official announcement that includes the list of detailed technical specs and features for each of the variants that will hit the market, so this is no rumor. Powered by unspecified processors, the updated LG K8 and LG K10 are expected to show up next week at MWC 2018.

The Mi 7 will be Xiaomi's next device in its premium Mi product line. A teardown of what appears to be the device's firmware has revealed some more information about it. Files on the firmware point towards the presence of features like an OLED display, EIS, a 3170 mAh battery, and NFC support.

The quad-camera Honor 9 Lite receives the software update that enables Face Unlock after a few other Honor devices, such as the Honor 7X and the Honor View 10. According to the website that broke the news, the update arrives in stages and should be fully deployed by March 5. Priced below US$200, the Honor 9 Lite is one of the few handsets in the same price range to support this feature.

Meizu Vice President Li Nan has confirmed that a new device is in the works. The device, the Meizu X2, will be powered by the Snapdragon 845 and will likely ship with a price tag in the $450 range when it is launched much later in the year.

The Blade V9 has made the trip over to Geekbench, Snapdragon 450 in tow. It's joined by the Moto G6 Play, Motorola's upcoming budget device which features the less impressive Snapdragon 430.

The Nokia 4 will be one of HMD's budget releases for the year. The device is said to be powered by a Snapdragon 450—Qualcomm's new 14nm SoC that records performance figures similar to those of the Snapdragon 625.

The successor of the ZTE Blade X Max is rumored to launch in mid to late spring. Apparently ready to hit the market as the ZTE Blade X2 Max, it looks a lot like its predecessor. The list of rumored specs includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, 3 GB or 4 GB RAM, at least 32 GB internal storage, as well as a 6-inch full HD display. This phablet will probably launch with Android Oreo customized by ZTE onboard.

The 'Blackshark" comes equipped with a Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with 8 GB RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It also integrates a 2160 x 1080 screen and runs Android 8.0. The AnTuTu benchmark results place it above the Samsung Galaxy S9+.

At the end of last week, the Huawei Mate SE was listed on both Amazon and B&H Photo Video. Even more, it also got an official page on Huawei's website. However, all these listings of the rebranded Huawei Honor 7X were removed since then. The US$249.99 Mate SE apparently will come in grey and gold, but now it looks like we have to wait for it to get a proper release.

Google has officially rolled out Google Play, its feature rich competitor to Apple Pay. The new app will work everywhere that Android Pay was already accepted while the company will continue to add new features and work with partners to extend its reach.

Google is priming Chrome OS to compete directly with Apple's iPad in the tablet space, if the latest update to the Chrome OS on its alpha build Canary channel is any indication. The latest update allows users to run Android apps in split-screen, greatly enhancing the utility of the operating system.

The Xperia line may be a getting a refresh in the form of the Xperia XZ2 Compact if a photo posted on Xperia Blog is to be believed. The photo, which was posted by a commenter, claims to show off a prototype of the small form factor flagship rumored to appear at MWC 2018 next week.

HTC is once again pushing the envelope for entry-level devices with the upcoming Desire 12.

The Nokia 8 Pro is expected to hit the market in August-September with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 onboard. Obviously, nothing has been confirmed by HMD Global yet.

Nuance will stop the development of the Swype Keyboard app for iOS and Android. The company has ceased all support for the standalone application and will focus its efforts on built-in keyboards for phone manufacturers instead.

Sony has released a new video clip in relation to the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2018 event that does not actually feature a physical handset. What new smartphone development is Sony possibly planning to reveal at the trade show in Barcelona next week?

The Moto Z2 Force stopped by at DxOMark last week and mostly underachieved, with its video score, in particular, doing its best to remind us of 2015 flagships.

A report by analytics firm Digitimes has projected Xiaomi to overtake OPPO and become the second biggest Chinese smartphone brand in the world, just behind Huawei.

The Samsung SM-T835 device that surfaced on GFXBench appears to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor onboard, next to 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage, and a 12 MP main camera. This 10.5-inch slate runs Android Oreo and is expected to feature a stylus, a detachable keyboard, as well as AKG-tuned speakers.

LG will be launching a successor to the G6, but it will come later this year with the Korean company targeting a June launch window. It won't have a pOLED display, but it will feature some interesting new LCD technology and pack a Snapdragon 845.

Google's flagship handsets, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, have been hit by more software bugs. This time, users are reporting overheating issues and poor battery life following the February security patch.

Essential has launched a further fresh color variant of its Phone PH-1. The new Halo Gray color is exclusive to Amazon and also comes pre-installed with Amazon's Alexa personal voice-assistant.

New evidence points to the existence of the highly anticipated Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S — the first smartphone touted to sport the Snapdragon 845 SoC. The Mi Mix 2S could also feature iPhone X-like gestures for navigation along with a side notch for housing the selfie camera.