Android

Although all Galaxy A handsets released so far use a touchscreen display with a conventional aspect ratio of 16:9, the screen of the upcoming Galaxy A5 (2018) will use the same 18.5:9 ratio as the Galaxy S8 flagship.

Not long after introducing the Coral and Deepsea Blue color options for the Galaxy S8 and Note 8, Samsung unleashes a Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 that goes quite well with the colors of the season. Sadly, it can only be acquired in South Korea for now.

HTC is set to launch another device year runs out, with the phone, the "Ocean Harmony" looking to be another mid-ranger. There's been talk of a Snapdragon 652, though, so we're not exactly sure what HTC has planned for this one.

This tiny basic smartphone runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (yes that is the pre-KitKat Android, no mistake here!) and is powered by the MediaTek MT6752A processor. Priced around US$90, it is scheduled to hit Japan later this week.

Although Samsung accounted for almost 34 percent of the US market compared to Apple's about 25 percent share in the second quarter of the year, the Cupertino-based company bounced back in the third quarter and gained the lead thanks to Samsung's declining sales during the given time frame.

Back in August, the Saygus team revealed that the long-awaited V Squared flagship had finally reached the FCC. It took "just" a few months to get the agency's certifications, but at least now we know that this phone is not vaporware and should launch soon.

Although the first stable release of Google's operating system came out in 2008, the first public beta build of this open source project arrived back in the first days of November 2017, thus making Android as old as a decade.

Xiaomi has chosen Spain as the first country outside of China where they have a full business presence, due to the large and active fan-base there. Answers given during the Q&A session suggested that this new presence within Europe would simplify the importing of Xiaomi products to the rest of the European Union.

After spending a long time in the public beta testing stage, the Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 ROM by Xiaomi is finally rolling out to Redmi Note 4/Note 4X and Mi Max 2 handsets. The second batch consists of six more devices and is expected to get updated this month as well.

The new LG X401 is a 5.3-inch handset with a MediaTek MT6750 processor and slightly below the average specs of a US$250 Android smartphone. However, we expect it to be just another device aimed at the South Korean market alone.

Since Qualcomm is known to go through some financial problems with the Apple lawsuit, the company could benefit from a change of management. Broadcom is currently considering to help with that, and Qualcomm's acquisition could result in a more consolidated market.

Motorola and Lenovo have announced the new 'Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa' Moto Mod, which adds additional microphones, speakers, and a battery in addition to having Alexa always listening.

Marking the twelfth straight quarter of year-over-year decline, the third quarter of 2017 saw the tablet market slump 5.4%. Despite a bump in sales growth from 4 of the top 5 tablet retailers, the market as a whole continues its downward trend with no end in sight.

The OnePlus 5T will be launched in Brooklyn on the 16th of this month. The general public will be able to watch a live stream of the events but fans of the company are also welcome to visit the venue. As long as they buy US$40 tickets, that is.

Huawei is set to release the next device with a Kirin 970, the Honor V10, in December. The V10, also to be known as the Honor 9 Pro, will share a lot of features with the Mate 10, while costing significantly less.

Xiaomi may be set to launch the Mi 6C next month, with the mid-ranger expected to feature the Surge S2 SoC and the same dual rear camera setup used on the Mi 6.

The new foldable handset patent by Oppo reveals a device that seems to use a hinge to allow its user to bend the entire top part at an angle. Obviously, this might never turn into a market-ready product.

This time, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro (2017) with the model number SM-J250F received its Bluetooth certification. Not long ago, this handset also visited the FCC, so it should launch pretty soon.

The low-end ZTE Overture 3 is scheduled to hit Cricket Wireless on November 10 for just US$49.99 for new and existing customers, but switchers can get it for free. The only specs revealed so far are a 5-inch display, an unnamed quad-core processor, and a 5 MP main camera.

Best Buy has put up the Essential PH-1 for sale at a bargain price of $449, $250 down from its launch price tag. The phone may have its issues but there aren't a lot of better devices for that price.

Nathan Park, a freelance hardware engineer, has carried out tests on the Google Pixel 2 XL, discovering an intentional bottleneck on the device that limits the power received by the phone from the 18W supplied by its stock charger to just 10.5W.

ZTE has confirmed on Twitter that it will launch a successor to the "incredibly successful" Axon 7. Of course, no one knows what stage of development the device is in but the idea of a next-gen flagship that takes a similar stance to the Axon 7's is cause for joy.

Continuing the trend of the Pixel 2 XL, a small number of users have complained on Reddit and the Ars Technica forums about receiving devices which are completely missing the operating system. Google reports that they have fixed this going forwards, and they are sending replacement devices for those affected.

Samsung is hoping to attract prospective buyers of its S8, S8 Active, S8+, or Note 8 handsets by offering a free Gear VR headset or DeX station with each purchase.

Despite shipping nearly 10 percent more smartphones this year, Samsung revenue dropped QoQ because of a more balanced sales distribution between its entry, mainstream, and flagship offerings.

Xiaomi has launched two new devices for the Indian market, with both being selfie-focuses budget offerings. The two devices, the Y1 and Y1 Lite will ship with MIUI 9 and feature 16 MP selfie cameras.

Xiaomi is set to offer a number of deals for the 11.11 shopping festival in China, most notable of them being the new Mi A1 which will be available at a nigh-irresistible price of US$195.

Sony has released its financial report for the second quarter of its fiscal year (July - September), with its smartphone business seeing a decline in shipments. Growth of the Games and Network Services division, however, saw a total increase in revenue for the Japanese giants.

Motorola has finally released a Moto X4 that will retail without the shackles of Project Fi or Amazon Prime. The X4 is in contention for being the best mid-range device of the year, and will come with a US$399 price tag.

Huawei is set to release its flagship, the Mate 10 Pro, for the UK market. It will retail with a price tag of £699, which is pricey but still about par with the prices of other flagships released in that market.

Google has introduced Fast Pair for Android devices. It brings a far easier way of pairing Bluetooth headphones that is very similar to what Apple is doing with its AirPods for iPhone.

The surprising leak reveals high-end specs for the unnamed Neffos flagship: Snapdragon 835, 6 GB RAM, 20 MP + 16 MP rear cameras, 16 MP front camera and a trendy 18:9 display with thin bezels and curved edges.

Meizu executive Ard Boudeling has announced the company's plans of partnering with MediaTek for the development of facial recognition technology that will rival Apple's Face ID.

Asus' Zenfone 4 series has made its way over to the US. The three devices, the Zenfone 4 Pro, Zenfone 4, and Zenfone 4 Max will be available for sale in shops like Bestbuy, Newegg, and Amazon.

Samsung has released its business report for Q3 2017, with the company recording all-time high figures in revenue and profits. Its smartphone arm witnessed an increase in shipments this quarter, in spite of a comprehensive decline in profit.

Xiaomi has once again beat its record of 10 million shipments—a record made only last month—in what is, perhaps, the greatest testament to the company's remarkable growth this year.

The latest version of Samsung's Internet Browser app for Android brings a few useful features out of beta, including a new Night Mode and a new High Contrast Mode or the ability to download and install third-party ad blockers.

What sets the S41 apart is the military grade 810G casing that provides protection against harsh conditions, making it ideal for construction site personnel. The smartphone also packs mid-high end specs: a MediaTek Helio P20 octa-core SoC coupled with 3 GB RAM, and 32 GB internal storage, along with a 5-inch 1080p IPS display.

HMD Global is bringing back the concept of quality entry-level smartphones with the new Nokia 2. It features a 5-inch 720p IPS display, a 5 MP frontal / 8 MP rear camera setup, 8 GB of internal storage, a 4,100 mAh battery, and it is powered by the Snapdragon 212 SoC coupled with 1 GB of RAM.

Nearly all details of Razer's upcoming smartphone have been leaked a day before the official launch by a UK mobile provider. The massive phone will feature a 120Hz IGZO display, Snapdragon 835 SoC, 8 GB of RAM, and a 4000 mAh battery.

Samsung is set to announce the reopening of its beta-testing program, Galaxy Beta, in the coming days, with users getting the chance to have a taste of Oreo prior to the final release scheduled for Q1 2018. The Galaxy Note 8 is snubbed for some reason, however.

Canalys has released a report on the Chinese smartphone market, with data showing Huawei's slim lead over OPPO at the top of the pyramid, Vivo's and Xiaomi's growths, and Apple's rebound after a poor 2016.

While Samsung maintained its share of the Indian smartphone market unchanged in the third quarter, Xiaomi's local sales jumped from 6 percent in Q3 2016 to no less than 22 percent in the same period of 2017.

An LG G6 has been spotted on popular benchmark platform Geekbench, Android Oreo in tow. There are no specifics about when the device will receive the Oreo update but G6 users can now be confident that they'll get it.

Grovemade, who are known for producing high-quality accessories, have started pre-orders for a cork and stainless steel based charging pad which fits nicely with modern furniture design aesthetics.

The iPhone X went on sale a few days and while buyers have had issues actually procuring one, UMIDIGI, a Chinese OEM is already set to offer a substitute, and one with a 7000 mAh battery to boot.

Xiaomi launched an arm of its business in Russia earlier in the year and the company is set to continue the trend with another launch in Spain. The event is scheduled for November 7 in Madrid.