5G

Can the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ keep up with the fastest Snapdragon on the market? We answer this question and more in our review of the Asus ROG Phone 6D and 6D Ultimate. Here's a quick summary of what we found.

The Zero Ultra has launched compatible with Infinix' fastest power brick to date, not to mention a 200MP main rear camera. Now, the OEM has announced that the new Android smartphone is bringing its ThunderCharge technology with it to India. It will be made available at a "special launch price" via Flipkart later in December 2022.

AnTuTu Benchmark now claims to have tested a device with a model number previously linked to the OnePlus 11, and to have found that it excels in terms of performance thanks to high-end internals such as the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Meanwhile, the OEM is ramping up hype for its updated design through fresh teasers for its upcoming flagship Android smartphone.

RedMagic smartphones have often gone to extremes in presenting themselves as prime rivals to devices such as the Asus ROG Phone series from first glance. Nevertheless, the flagship Android line is set to move beyond that in its eighth generation, with a Pro model that clearly takes inspiration from flagship iPhones and possibly the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 flagships as part of a matching brand-identity update.

With its first new ThinkPad announcement for the year 2023, Lenovo is bringing incremental updates of the flagship X1 series to the market. X1 Nano Gen 3, X1 Yoga Gen 8 and X1 Carbon Gen 11 continue to use the design of last year's models.

The Nubia Z50 has landed on the Chinese Android flagship smartphone market with the Motorola Moto X40 right in its crosshairs, as it starts for less at the same amount RAM and internal storage paired to the latest and highest-end Qualcomm SoC. The Z50 also boasts a second-gen "custom" 35mm equivalent lens for its main rear camera, touted to outdo competitors with their fancy 1-inch sensors.

Tecno has laid claim to the launch of the first ever Android smartphone with a rear-mounted lens capable of extending and retracting like that, as the OEM notes, of a "real" camera. The Phantom X2 Pro is also presented as a premium device otherwise, with a flagship-grade 5G SoC, a large AMOLED display as part of a "dual-curved" design and 12GB of RAM.

Realme's latest addition to its new 10 series of Android smartphones is the cheapest yet - nevertheless, it starts at a once-premium amount of RAM (8GB) for well under US$200. It also packs a 5G-capable 2021 MediaTek Dimensity processor, a generous 5,000mAh battery and a 90Hz display for all of that. Then again, the 10s might not be one for fans of photography or an up-to-date OS out of the box.

Samsung's leader in the modern-day Android clamshell smartphone market, the Galaxy Z Flip4, has a new and compelling rival in the freshly-launched OPPO Find N2 Flip. Now, a third brand Vivo is tipped to use the same product name for an upcoming contender of its own. It is depicted as belonging to the premium X series of mobile devices, with the processing power to match its main competitors.

OnePlus has confirmed that its upcoming flagship Android smartphone is called the 11 today (December 17, 2022). The brand has also dropped an official preview clip that seems to confirm a premium design update in line with the device's leaks to date. Its launch date remains a mystery, however, as OnePlus preferred to devote its birthday speech to its future instead.

Xiaomi sets the right tone with the Mix Fold 2, winning it many fans in the process. Those same fans will be sad at the knowledge that the foldable will most likely not come to Europe. In our opinion, there are several good reasons for this.

The Realme GT Neo 5 is rumored to launch as what might be the world's fastest-charging Android smartphone in 2023. Now, a design for this allegedly record-breaking mobile device has allegedly been revealed in advance. The new leak hints at inspiration drawn from former Xiaomi flagship phablets.

OnePlus' latest flagship-grade Android smartphone, the 10T, has the fastest charging technology known to its series thus far. However, should a new leak based on a new 3C certification in China prove accurate, its immediate successor the 11 might be a slight let-down in this area. Meanwhile, the brand has made a date to share something with its fans later in December 2022, although these two things are not necessarily linked.

OPPO's allegedly upcoming Find X6 series of premium Android smartphones are now thought to launch with telephoto lenses of specs that might equal or even exceed that of the new Xiaomi 13 Pro in certain respects. These specs are again linked to a new Sony sensor, as in previous tips - although this new leak is said to have spilled from the OEM itself this time.

Samsung has now registered the Galaxy A14 5G with the US Federal Communication Commission, thereby suggesting that the new possibly mid-range Android smartphone may be here soon. Meanwhile, devices that may be very similar counterparts from both the Galaxy F- and M-series have reportedly popped up on another regulator's database.

Nubia has announced that its answer to new Android smartphones such as the Motorola Moto X40 will be introduced before the end of 2022. The OEM is also gunning for rumored devices such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra with updated rear camera tech for the upcoming Z50. It is also touted as having the RAM and internal storage specs to match its new top-end silicon.

Motorola has already confirmed that the Moto X40 will be the next premium Android smartphone to launch with the new top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Now, it has also been revealed that it will support the OEM's fastest wired charging on its debut. It will also pitch itself as the mobile device for the active, extreme-sporty user with a new camera feature.

Carl Pei's company Nothing has indicated that it is "in talks" with carriers in the US to sell new smartphones through their stores. Meanwhile, it has also opened its own shop-front in London this weekend. It will sell accessories such as its TWS earphones as well as its inaugural Android-powered phone (1) seven days a week.

The Mix Fold 2 has been announced as Xiaomi's latest foldable flagship Android smartphone. Now, it has been re-released in 2 new special editions that differ in both color and texture from the original SKUs. Their prices may be announced during the imminent major 13 series/MIUI 14 product event.

OnePlus is thought not to be far away from launching an up-to-date flagship smartphone called the 11. However, according to a new leak, it is also working on a subsequent member of its series that may have a slightly less premium build. However, unlike its possible predecessor, it is said to launch with the brand's signature hardware toggle.

The ZenFone 9 is one of the most compact smartphone with flagship specs to be released in 2022. Now, its software is also becoming more up to date with the release of a new OTA. It upgrades the dual rear camera device to Android 13, thereby adding potentially improved UI, UX, media and user privacy controls to the 5.9-inch display device.

The Xiaomi 13 might be a compelling choice of a new Android smartphone thanks to its combination of the latest and potentially greatest SoC from Qualcomm and an all-new, flat display. However, this putative dream of thin-bezel fans is reportedly proving much less of one for accessory-makers, who allegedly claim that its lack of chin or forehead make a hard fit for a screen protector, especially if the user also wants to use a case with it.

The Realme 10 Pro Plus (or Pro+) has now launched internationally to bring its "flagship-level" curved display and Hyperspace Design rear panel style to the mid-range Android smartphone market. It has arrived alongside the flat-screened Pro variant of its series, along with prices for both in USD and INR.

MediaTek and iQOO have synced up to introduce the Neo7 SE, the first new Android smartphone to be powered by the Dimensity 8200 SoC today (December 8, 2022). The device leverages its new 4nm octa-core chipset to drive a flat FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, kept on with a battery capable of charging at 120 watts (W). The triple rear camera handset starts for just around US$300 in China from now.

The iQOO 11 has officially won the race to be the first Android smartphone to make the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor international today (December 8, 2022). Like its Pro sibling, it combines this new top-end SoC with new UFS 4.0 storage and cutting-edge LPDDR5X RAM; however, it is the only member of its series to debut both inside and outside China today (December 8, 2022). It also boasts fast 120W charging for a 5,000mAh battery in both regions.

iQOO has made its latest top-end BMW M Motorsport-branded smartphone official today, aiming for the front of the line with cutting-edge LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 internal storage to go with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - which is augmented in turn with a second-gen ISP. The 11 Pro also has second-gen 200W charging, rated to charge its battery to 100% in as little as 10 minutes.

Meizu is said to make a surprise return to the Android smartphone market in 2023 - and to shoot for the top of it again, too, with a new flagship powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor from Qualcomm. Now, a device that might conform to this description has appeared on Geekbench with what looks like new software and an appreciable amount of RAM.

Qualcomm touts its new Compact Macro 5G RAN Platform as a way to boost uptake of mmWave 5G, which may be held back at present by the costs involved in establishing a network based on that type of mobile data, not the least is the risk of needing a high concentration of base stations to cover a given area. The new platform is rated to reduce them "significantly" with an increase in range of over 200% compared to its predecessor.

Realme has announced that its official custom UI based on Android 13 will make its global debut alongside the upcoming 10 series for the international market. The brand has outlined some of its UX-, performance- and privacy-related upgrades ahead of its launch. They include new always-on display modes, in-game battery life improvements and automatic personal info-redacting functions.

Samsung India has just posted a support page for a new model number linked to the Galaxy A14 5G, which may thus fit into an affordable tier of the Android smartphone market soon. Meanwhile, more renders, some of which purport to show the device in a case, may confirm its new refined and flat-edged build.

According to the latest leak, the probably imminent new flagship Android smartphones from Xiaomi will outweigh their respective predecessors. On the other hand, this may be due to a choice of premium build materials. Their use may also have made the 13 Pro much thicker as well, however.

Xiaomi made one of the biggest rear camera humps known to Android smartphones for the 12S Ultra, which helps bring attention to its ground-breaking 1-inch sensor. However, according to the latest rumor, the feature may get even bigger in its successor. It may need to hold extra lenses as well as other components, thus making it stand out even more in the putative 13 Ultra.

Realme is rumored to produce a successor to its premium mid-range GT Neo 3 Android smartphone with a high-end Qualcomm processor. Now, the same device may be the one to debut rated for the brand's fastest charging technology to date - faster than that of the current top-spec'd Neo 3, and even faster than that of Redmi's new Note 12 Pro Discovery Edition.

Nubia's upcoming RedMagic 8 Pro gaming smartphone will feature a 6.8-inch OLED panel. One variant of the smartphone will ship with a 5,000 mAh battery and another with a 6,000 mAh unit. Other specs include a 50 MP wide-angle lens and a 16 MP under-display selfie camera.

OPPO is roundly expected to launch a first-gen clamshell foldable smartphone alongside a direct successor to its existing Find N flagship in the near future. Now, a new Weibo post purports to provide a round-up of most of their specs. Most are interesting upgrades, although there is one detail that might, if true, stop hopes of an international release for the N2 Flip dead in their tracks.

Pantone has announced its choice for 2023's Color of the Year, and has partnered with Motorola to celebrate this decision with a new SKU of the Edge 30 Fusion finished in the "fearless" hue. Its unveiling also coincides with the launch of the Moto Buds 600 ANC, a new pair of TWS earbuds that will be bundled with the new special edition, albeit in a different Pantone color.

iQOO 11-series launch plans are now back on - sort of. The next-gen Android flagship smartphone line is slated to consist of a Pro as well as a vanilla variant, the second of which is now officially destined to launch in Indonesia, although a synced event in the brand's native China remains in doubt. Nevertheless, iQOO is still promising a second generation of its fastest charging technology in its upcoming premium handset series.

Nokia has reportedly outlined the roll-out plan that upgrades its smartphones to stable Android 13, including a short list of the first wave of the devices in question. Some are those with pre-existing betas for the new major software upgrade; however, all have certain things in common, a relatively recent launch date and a tendency to be used at work included.

Infinix refers to its latest 5G smartphone as a "Power Upgrade" thanks to its new MediaTek SoC and "massive" storage specs. Now, the OEM has finally unveiled a guide price for the upcoming mid-ranger's single SKU. It may vary across regions, although customers can apparently expect to pay well under US$300 for the 50MP camera device.

Samsung has claimed that the amount of Galaxy Z Fold- and Z Flip-series devices sold to enterprise customers has increased by just over 100% in 2022 compared to the previous year. The OEM claims that they have grown in popularity for these buyers due to their larger screens that allow for more tasks to get done at once, something particularly valuable to remote workers.

Nothing has now indicated that it is making progress with Android 13 for the phone (1) by inviting its users to sign up for its latest beta. It upgrades the device to the latest software, although a tester may encounter fewer features and more bugs than usual. Nothing hopes to gain useful feedback that will help inform the final stable version of its new OS in exchange for this advance preview.

The performance-oriented smartphone brand iQOO has now joined Xiaomi in suspending the formerly imminent launch of its new flagships. A mid-range Neo7 SE, set to introduce a new processor, was to have debuted alongside them. Now, this device has allegedly leaked out in further detail, its extra-fast charging large battery included.

Pete Lau holds leading roles at both OPPO and OnePlus, and has just uploaded a possible hint as to the build quality of the former's second-gen foldable flagship smartphone, the Find N2. If so, it may help explain rumors of a reduced total weight in the putative device. Meanwhile, it is also thought responsible for a new entry on the Geekbench database with high-end specs, albeit with slight potential caveats.

As a refreshed version of the top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, the 8 Plus Gen 1 (or 8+ Gen 1) has appeared nearly exclusively in flagship-level Android smartphones as a rule in 2022. However, that is now said to change in 2023, as the platform is set to power more mid-range devices as the Gen 2 takes over. Then again, they may come with compromises - with the exception of the Realme "Neo 5", of course.

ZTE has made the Aerospace Edition of its Axon 40 Ultra official today. The OEM has aimed for the stratosphere with this new version of its flagship Android smartphone by combining a re-styled ceramic rear panel with its existing third-gen under-display selfie camera. It can be ordered with up to 18GB of RAM, although this will push its price over US$1,000 in its native China.

OPPO has arguably scored a win with its first-gen foldable Android device, the Find N. Nevertheless, the latest rumors point to even better specs in its allegedly upcoming successor. They include the latest brightness- and efficiency-boosting display technology from Samsung in both the cover and main displays of the phablet, along with a new main camera and faster charging.