Android

Market intelligence analyst Sensor Tower has estimated that Fortnite has amassed over US$500 million in revenue in less than a year on iOS alone. The battle royale smash hit from Epic Games has been making about US$1.53 million a day since it was released on the App Store. Android gamers have contributed another US$100 million on top of that.

The first pictures of the Sony Xperia XA3 have leaked ahead of MWC 2019 via a Chinese website that has managed to grab snippets from a leaked video. The Xperia XA3 will be an upgrade to Sony's mid-range offering and will supposedly be powered by a Snapdragon 660 SoC. The main draw of the phone, however, could be its unusually tall display.

A Redditor claims to have access to a Canadian database in which the upcoming LG G8 ThinQ is shown alongside the number 1199. Assuming this figure is its price in the country, this means the phone could cost about US$900 at launch. Considering LG's typical release strategies for its mobile devices, this is more or less plausible.

Samsung has caused a bit of a splash in the mid-range smartphone segment with the recent launch of the Galaxy M10 and M20 range of smartphones in India. Set for a wider rollout, the M10 and M20 will also be joined by the Galaxy M30, details of which have just leaked out.

The latest stable version of Chrome OS (72) brings a considerable re-design for the Assistant interface on this platform. It also updates the version of Android used within it to 9.0 (Pie), which adds the ability to search for apps and use new Assistant settings. Chrome OS redirects Cast set-up to the Google Home app, and adds picture-in-picture video to webpages.

Google might be working on building its own brand of wearables. A job posting looking for a VP of Hardware Engineering for Wearables was recently announced that could mean that the Mountain View is looking to expand its hardware offerings into next generation wearables. A posting for a Wearables Design Manager is also in the offing.

Thanks to the votes of The Steam Community members, PUBG is now holding the Game of the Year Award for 2018. However, CD PROJEKT RED, the Polish company behind the successful Witcher franchise, was crowned as The Best Developer. PUBG competed for this prize against Monster Hunter World, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Hitman 2, and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.

We knew that Essential is still a thing, but the info on the successor of the PH-1 phone was really limited still. New schematics uncovered by Slash Gear suggest that the upcoming PH-2 will get some innovative tech similar to what Samsung is trying to implement in future devices, including in-display selfie cams with light sensors that make the display translucent and in-display fingerprint sensors.

Opera has introduced a new beta version of its Android mobile browser with a built-in VPN. Even better, it is a free feature inclusion that doesn’t log user data that travels through Opera’s servers.

A new set of images allegedly pertaining to the Asus Zenfone 6 (2019) Pro show a phone with triple rear cameras. However, they fail to confirm the rumored off-centre 'droplet' notch alluded to in other upcoming Zenfone leaks. In fact, with its relatively thick bezels, sensor bar and chin with fingerprint sensor, the front panel shown in this new post looks decidedly out of place in 2019.

The Android Go handsets Samsung Galaxy J2 Core and Galaxy J4 have recently been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance with Android Pie firmware onboard. However, the arrival of the update might take a while. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 were certified back in November with Android 9.0 onboard, but the update is not ready for them yet.

Motorola has launched its highly anticipated 2019 G-series line up. Although not a flagship lineup, it is the company’s most popular smartphone series bringing high-end features to the more affordable mid-range smartphone segment.

Samsung has apparently got imaginative with the available color schemes for the upcoming Galaxy S10e variant of the expected flagship smartphone series. We already reported on a Canary Yellow version, and thanks to talented tipster Ishan Agarwal, we can now see what it’s actually going to look like. If you are reading this post on your device with the display at full brightness then you might want to turn it down a few notches first!

Everything was normal until our glass display suddenly cracked. If you're planning on getting a cheap Android from a Chinese OEM, then hopefully you won't be unlucky as we are. We're just glad that nothing caught on fire.

Qualcomm has released the Snapdragon 712 processor; however, it seems not to be much more than a refreshed 710 SoC. On one hand, the 712 may be 10% faster compared to its prececessor; on the other, both have the same GPU, Hexa DSP and X15 LTE modem. However, it supports Fast Charging version 4+ rather than 4.

The OPPO K1 is now available on the Indian market. This phone may compete with others such as the Redmi Note 7, as it has many specs in common with this device, but also has an in-display fingerprint reader. The K1 is exclusive to Flipkart, which sells it for about US$237.

Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything has done it again and disassembled another smartphone, this time the Vivo NEX Dual Display. The teardown is not without its issues though.

A leaked alleged press render of the upcoming Nokia 9 PureView flagship smartphone seems to have confirmed what most were expecting: That the device will sport an impressive rear-facing quintuple camera setup. That’s a whole two more sensors than anything in Samsung’s Galaxy S10 line-up. However, the Nokia 9 also features some hefty bezels.

Some live photos of the upcoming Vivo V15 Pro have been published by MySmartPrice, along with a very brief hands-on video. The Chinese manufacturer has provided the upcoming V15 smartphones with still uncommon pop-up selfie cameras, and the video shows the Pro version with a unique black and red gradient finish on the rear cover.

A new set of leaks concerning the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 has appeared, including information and a picture of a brand-new product. There are some live photos of two different Galaxy S10 devices in the hand, and there is an image of a pair of wireless earbuds in their case that look like they are being reverse wirelessly charged by an S10+.

Our recent reviews demonstrated that the Huawei P Smart Plus is a worthy alternative to the P Smart 2019. The price difference between the two devices varies, but it is often minimal, so the question is, which is the better buy?

Xiaomi's new patent filings may cause a stir if they come to fruition. The company has filed several designs at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that point towards it producing a smartphone with dual punch-hole front-facing cameras.

The "mini" version has been missing for quite a few years from the Galaxy S roster, but it looks like Samsung is finally bringing it back with the S10 family. The latest leaks depict a slightly smaller 5.8-inch screen with a punch-in selfie cam and thin side notch, plus a fingerprint sensor mounted on the power button. Additionally, the S10e will be the only model to come in Canary Yellow.

A tweet including possible live images of the upcoming Galaxy S10 Plus has been submitted by the well-regarded leaker Roland Quandt. Two versions of the same phone in the same color (black) are shown. However, variations in their shade supports descriptive text that identify them as the rumored Prism Black and ceramic black SKUs of this device.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9's S Pen gained interesting new Bluetooth capabilities over previous versions of the same stylus last year. Now, the OEM has obtained a patent to pack a whole camera into a version of the same component. This camera has a tiny lens, but also has optical zoom and a battery to power it.

The latest update to the VLC media player (4.0) will bring more features, especially for iOS. However, it will also no longer support older versions of the same platform, along with some others (e.g. Windows XP). It also now offers the ability to play a full list of music without pauses of any kind.

Get a new 128 GB OnePlus 6 for just $419 or $60 off the retail price. Other Chinese brands like Teclast, Alldocube, Voyo, Chuwi, Xiaomi, and Moto are also on sale until early next week. Coolicool specializes on offering inexpensive smartphones for customers both inside and outside of Asia.

OPPO's Find series is a line of their more premium smartphones. Its 2019 iteration is a contender for the OEM's Snapdragon 855-powered flagship. Based on a new trademark filing with the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office), this device will be called the Find Z.

Mozilla's Firefox 66 will come with audible autoplay blocking enabled by default, and the Android version will get a new implementation of this feature. The update is scheduled for general release on March 19. However, Firefox 66 will continue to allow muted autoplay.

Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi is reconsidering its marketing strategies. Up until now, Redmi has been focusing on premium mid-range phones, but it looks like Xiaomi will allow it to release flagships, as well. The Note 7 Pro is going to be released soon, and afterwards, Redmi intends to launch a value high-end handheld powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 SoC.

The Huawei Mate 20 series was launched with a triple rear camera associated with Leica and informed by AI. Now, a new update to EMUI has enabled this AI to extract or isolate colors from still images taken using the Mate 20 X or 20 Pro. This feature was available during video recording on the 2 phones, and now extends to their photography as well.

The Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 come with Exynos processors inside, generous displays with a waterdrop notch, and dual cameras on the back. Sadly, they only run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. These handsets will be available in India — for very competitive prices — only through Samsung's own online store and Amazon.

Phones from the most recent Pixel generation (and the Essential PH-1) have been reported as having received notifications to download the latest security patch for Android. Essential has noted that this update also contains other necessary additions such as bug-fixes. This patch may roll out to other devices later on, depending on their OEMs and carriers.

The Samsung Gear Sport may get a successor soon, which is likely to be called the Galaxy Sport. This smartwatch will be the first product to feature Bixby Reminders. A new leak allegedly associated with this wearable shows that it may ditch the rotating bezel that has become a hallmark of Tizen devices.

The upcoming Vivo V15 Pro managed to score 2,382 points in the single-core test and 6,479 multi-core points on Geekbench, where it can be found as the Vivo 1818. Running Android Pie-based software and featuring a pop-up camera, this mid-range handset is expected to hit the Indian market on February 20.

Samsung is going all out with its new Galaxy S10 lineup. Already rumored to feature a model fitted with next-gen 5G cellular compatibility, FCC certification confirms that the range will also include the latest specification Wi-Fi 6 for ultra-fast Wi-Fi connectivity.

Famous leaker Evan Blass has provided another glimpse into what Samsung is preparing with the upcoming Galaxy S10 line-up. This time, he has offered a live photo of one of the Galaxy S10+ variants. The picture shows barely a whole corner of the device, but it is sufficient enough to see the rear-facing triple camera setup and a small part of the Samsung logo.

Chromebases may have fallen out of fashion years ago, but Acer is reviving the Chrome OS form factor with the Chromebase 24I2 and 24V2, two business-centric Chrome OS all-in-one desktops. Both devices will feature 24-inch Full HD touch displays, Intel 8th generation Core CPUs, and plenty of ports and hardware to support teleconferencing, business work, and more.

The next product from Essential looks to be a sequel to the PH-1 after initially indicating that its next device wouldn't be a smartphone. A reference to PH-2 has been found in carrier logs this week, suggesting that the device mightn’t be far away from seeing a commercial release.

A number of new renders have been published by LetsGoDigital based on the glimpse of the foldable smartphone in the recently leaked video from Samsung Vietnam. The latest images reflect the surprisingly slim-looking front screen and the amount of icons that can be seen on the display in smartphone mode. However, this might not be the device Samsung is planning on revealing.

A Samsung Galaxy S10+ variant with the model number SM-G975F has been spotted on Geekbench by MySmartPrice, and it has delivered some impressive scores. It managed 4,472 in the single-core test and scored 10,387 points in the multi-core benchmark. This particular version of the Samsung Galaxy S10+ is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 9820 SoC.

Wang Teng Thomas, Xiaomi’s product director, has written a post on Weibo indicating that a follow-up to the 2018 Black Shark Helo is on the way. The executive claimed to have seen this phone in the flesh, describing it as "too fast". However, no further details on this next-gen gaming device were discussed.

OnePlus has launched a new contest that could see the winning entry as a feature in a next-gen version of OxygenOS, the OEM's custom skin for its international Android phones. This competition is calling for entrants to find their inner software designer, and submit their ideas in the form of a full product requirements document. PMChallenge is open from now until Febrauary 22.

Although most technical details are not present in the TENAA listing, the appearance of the Moto G7 XT1965-6 model on the website of the Chinese certification authority comes with information regarding the physical dimensions of the device, its display size, and the capacity of its battery.

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 will get Android 9.0 later this year, but those adventurous enough can already join the beta upgrade program. However, the beta testing comes with a catch: Asus will not provide downgrades and cannot be held liable for any potential damage or data loss that may occur during this stage.

Chinese smartphone maker ZTE has made a quiet re-entry into the US market after suffering a potentially terminal trade ban for violating US trade sanctions in place against Iran and North Korea. The new ZTE Visible R2 is a modest device, but one that could potentially have never existed if it weren't for US president Donald Trump stepping in to save it.