5G

The OnePlus 8T will be superseded by the new flagship 9 series soon; however, its new official public Android betas might help keep it relevant for some time to come. The latest one contains a bunch of bug-fixes, and also upgrades the phone's security patch level to March 2021. It also adds one or two features, including a time-stamp for the stock camera app.

March seems to be the month of Android flagships thus far; however, iQOO's latest launch announcement might be for a more affordable device. The Z3 is slated to debut with a mid-tier processor, although whether it will come from MediaTek or Qualcomm is not clear at this point. However, all rumors do agree it will have 5G, not to mention fast 55W charging.

Asus' new mobile-gaming flagship device, the ROG Phone 5, recently earned a shelving of shame following a catastrophic end to its round of JerryRigEverything's popular durability tests. This failure was thought to be due to a weak point caused by a secondary USB type C port found on one side; however, the ROG Phone 3 also had one, and proved much more robust. A teardown may reveal what else is going on with this new phone.

Huawei's supply chain issues have reportedly led to shortages of its bespoke high-end mobile CPUs for 2021. However, this has not stopped new rumors that it will soon have a new variant of its flagship Kirin 9000 SoC manufactured. Called the 9000L, it is painted as a throttled and cut-down version of the more premium processor.

NUVIA's CPU technology will be integrated in many upcoming Qualcomm products, including ultraportable laptop processors, smartphone chips, digital cockpits, AI-assisted driving, extended reality and infrastructure networking solutions.

SoftBank has announced that it has set up a new 5G service in Japan. It is based on mmWave technology as opposed to sub-6GHz, which, according to its owner, brings the potential for higher speeds at reduced costs for carriers. The new system is made using Qualcomm hardware, and will support phones with the same OEM's SoCs.

A device called the "HMD Global Nokia X20" has popped up on Geekbench 5, detected as running on a Snapdragon 480 processor. This SoC is aimed at affordable new 5G phones, suggesting that this putative X20 will fall into this tier on launch. Its new leak also suggests it has 6GB of RAM and runs Android 11.

In an interview with News18, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the OnePlus 9R, an "affordable" gaming smartphone, will launch in India alongside the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. Lau stated that the 9R will be similar to the OnePlus Nord in terms of pricing but will aim to bring a flagship-level experience, particularly with regards to gaming, without breaking the bank.

Xiaomi's Black Shark premium gaming brand has announced that its new, Snapdragon 888-powered flagship is to launch on March 23, 2021 in China. The 4 is slated to have improved, "360-degree, 3D" cooling, triple rear cameras and the shoulder buttons from its 3 Pro forebear. The 2 phones are also likely to have very different designs.

Realme has officially announced that its first phone with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 flagship processor will be the GT Neo, and that it will debut at the end of March 2021. The OEM has yet to tease any more of its specs, although it is possible it will launch with a curved screen and a 4,400mAh battery.

Renowned leaker Even Blass has posted Samsung's product release schedule for 2021. It says that new Chromebooks and Galaxybooks are slated to be launched in April, followed by the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite in June, the Galaxy A82 in July and finally, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE in August.

Motorola has introduced a new PC-like desktop environment for its Moto Edge Plus flagship smartphone. The functionality dubbed ‘Ready For’ gives users the ability to plug in their smartphone to a keyboard, mouse and display similar to Samsung’s DeX environment.

It seems that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro will follow the Mi 11 Ultra's footsteps and include a secondary screen next to its rear cameras. This could theoretically help users take selfies using the objectively more powerful rear camera modules, but the small screen is less than ideal as a viewfinder.

Despite numerous rumors that Samsung could be set to axe the Galaxy Note line in 2021, the company has said that the Galaxy Note will live on. However, due to the global semiconductor shortage due to unprecedented demand for electronic goods in response to the pandemic, Samsung appears poised to skip the Galaxy Note in this year.

RedMagic has confirmed that its latest 6 and 6 Pro Android gaming flagship phones are to be released globally, bringing their new 165Hz AMOLED displays and Snapdragon 888 processors with them. However, it seems that the 6 Pro may not pack the ultra-fast 120W charging system it had when launched in China.

The hotly-anticipated OnePlus 9 series is still days from launch at this point (March 15, 2021). However, an electronics leaker claims that some consumers in Europe may be able to buy it early, albeit in blind box form. It apparently has a set price, although its contents can only be guessed at.

The Samsung Galaxy A32 is one of the few 5G smartphones that uses a flicker-free LC display. This might have some drawbacks, but it's also a concession made to customers who have problems with OLEDs.

Industry insiders suggest that Honor is working on a flagship smartphone powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. It could be the Honor 40, and it is expected to arrive in July. However, the global Snapdragon 888 shortage could be hinder Honor's plans.

The list of Android flagship phones with the latest Snapdragon 888 SoC is slowly yet steadily growing, although not all of them are available globally. New leaks suggest the Vivo X60 Pro Plus, one such premium device launched in partnership with Zeiss, will make it to international shores soon.

OnePlus will replace the 8T as its newest flagship soon. However, the OEM has news for those who would prefer to stick with the phone: it is now part of the Open Beta project at the company. This channel of new Android updates might unlock access to new features before they hit the "normal" stable versions.

A blog has posted new renders of what is claimed to be the rumored Moto G100, quite possibly the 2021 flagship of this well-known smartphone series. Should this be the case, it looks exactly like the Edge S that has been released to the Chinese market. Therefore, the phones could share a high-end Snapdragon 870 chipset and 64MP quad rear cameras.

Realme's latest flagship is the GT 5G, a phone geared toward performance, speed and those who like the option of vegan leather finishes. The OEM has announced that its first open sale netted the company 100 million yuan (~US$15 million) within the first 10 seconds of its first open sale. Meanwhile, its upcoming Neo variant may have leaked with a curved display.

Google's ARCore has added a new device called the ZenFone 8 Flip to its certification database. Therefore, it seems a new generation of Asus' innovative swivel-cam flagship Android phones is on the way. It is thought to be accompanied by a Mini variant, although that one has failed to materialize in this new leak.

The Oppo Find X3 Lite is entering the highly competitive mid-range. This means that a good configuration is a must. The manufacturer is also aware of that and equips its 6.43-inch device with the Snapdragon 765G, a 90 Hz OLED panel, and a 65-watt power adapter.

Nokia is now said to have a phone that integrates a high-end 108MP sensor into its signature penta-cam design in development. However, as it is also now supposed to have a mid-range Qualcomm 5G chipset, this may suggest an upgrade for the 8.3 5G rather than an outright flagship. Then again, the upcoming device is also rumored to have a premium 120Hz display.

A Spanish electronics website has posted a new listing for the Moto G50, also known as the XT2137-1 - or the rumored Motorola "Ibiza", in other words. It confirms various other details from this device's earlier leaks, RAM and storage specs included. This new preliminary sales page may indicate that the European smartphone market might get a new budget 5G option soon.

The ROG Phone 5 has now descended on the Android gaming scene, with its super-powered Pro and Ultimate variants for good measure. However, a tech blog claims to have found what could be their successor on the Bluetooth SIG certification website already. Then again, the evidence of this unusually advanced leak is now nowhere to be found.

ZTE has already confirmed that it will launch the Axon 30 Pro 5G as its 2021 flagship Android smartphone. Its latest teaser for this device introduces a new "Trinity" tag-line, which apparently refers to its rear cameras. Therefore, they might consist of a triple array made up of identical (or very similar) high-end sensors.

Today, (March 11, 2021) OPPO has unveiled its Find X3 Pro, X3 Neo and X3 Lite, complete with European pricing. This might leave some consumers wondering where the vanilla X3 went during all this. Well, it does exist, and has the same high-end display and cameras as the Pro, but is only available to pre-order in China.

Oppo's newly-launched Find X3 Neo and Find X3 Lite are low-cost alternatives to the costlier Pro model. They come with FHD+ OLED screens clocked at 90Hz, quad rear cameras, support for 65W fast charging, and more. Both phones will be up for pre-order starting March 18, with sales starting on April 1.

Oppo's first flagship smartphone of 2021 is finally here in the form of the Oppo Find X3 Pro. Some of its specifications include a 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED screen clocked at 120Hz, four rear cameras, a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W fast charging, and more. It will be available for pre-order on March 18 for EUR 1,149 (US$1,275)

Samsung has never conducted an "Awesome" Unpacked Event before - however, it now seems that is going to change in 2021. The inaugural edition of this kind of launch will take place via YouTube on March 17. It is thought to introduce at least 1 new member of the Galaxy A series to the world.

Some new Huawei P50 Pro renders have emerged online, thanks to @OnLeaks. It shows two ultra-large camera cutouts, one of which could likely be the 50MP Sony IMX 800 sensor. The leak also tells us that the smartphone will come with a 6.7-inch screen, two speakers, and an IR blaster.

Recent leaks have raised the possibility that Samsung is preparing a successor to its unusual flip-camera phone, the Galaxy A80. Now, a new addition to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) database provides proof that this device exists. It is thus almost certain to launch soon, with 5G and other forms of high-end wireless connectivity to boot.

Oppo has released a promo video detailing the process it has used to create the unique camera bump on the rear of the new Oppo Find X3 Pro. The camera housing has polarized the Android fan base but it is the result of a highly complex 40-hour process that is impressive in its technical complexity.

A new leak suggests that Qualcomm is planning to ditch the age-old efficiency plus performance core configuration on its upcoming Snapdragon 8cx successor codenamed the SC8280. It will instead use 'Gold' and 'Gold+' cores for better performance, at the expense of battery life.

OnePlus has now confirmed that its 9 series will launch in conjunction with Hasselblad. It has just posted a new YouTube clip starring a representative of this brand with new hints as to what their co-developed cameras can do. Meanwhile, the 9 Pro's rumored new Stellar Black option has been snapped itself and is now on Instagram.

iQOO has confirmed that it will launch its Snapdragon 870-powered Neo5 on March 16, 2021. However, new leaks suggest that it will have a second Android device to debut in the same month. The Z3 is thought to be the successor to the Z1, and, thus, to run on the new MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC.

OPPO has launched the F19 Pro and F19 Pro Plus, a new series of smartphones that seem to be exclusive to the Indian market. Accordingly, they are completely new devices rather than re-brands of some kind. They feature 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED displays, quad rear camera and a 5G MediaTek chipset in the higher-end model.

The P50 series is slated to be the next generation of Huawei's camera-oriented flagship smartphones. New leaks have suggested that the OEM is developing HarmonyOS 2.0 as their default ROM, which would be the first time it has shipped devices with this new OS. Meanwhile, a screen protector for the P50 Pro is also allegedly now out in the wild.

Vivo has announced that it will debut the X60 premium smartphone series outside China for the first time on March 22, 2021. They will be powered by the Snapdragon 870 SoC, as opposed to the Exynos 1080 they launched with in their domestic market. Nevertheless, they may prove an interesting new entry to the global market.

Huawei appears to have filed a patent for a dual-screen smartphone. A Twitter user has envisioned what it could look like, with the second screen located right next to the rear camera module. The device in question could be the Huawei P50 Pro+, but there's no way to know for sure.

A new report has found that Samsung sold just under 600,000 units of the Galaxy S21 series in the first 4 weeks since its launch in this OEM's home country. The flagships have not done so well in this respect since the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus debuted in 2017. Furthermore, the Galaxy A31 was found to be the best-selling Android phone in South Korea for 2020.

OPPO has now confirmed that its premium Find X3 smartphone series will launch on March 11, 2021. Its flagship, the X3 Pro, is now rumored to have a display panel that combines the high-end E4 AMOLED and LTPO specs. However, it will allegedly also start for less than a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with the same amount of internal storage.

The official Weibo channel for the Master Lu benchmark claims to have seen its first 18GB RAM phone. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it is the ROG Phone 5, which has also surfaced on Geekbench with this ground-breaking spec. On this occasion, it has apparently shot right to the top of the rankings in this test.

The RedMagic 6 Pro is Nubia's new mobile gaming flagship phone equipped with ultra-fast 120 watt (W) charging technology. The OEM markets this phone as capable of re-filling its 4500mAh battery to 0-50% in just 5 minutes, or all the way to 100% in 17 minutes. However, a vlogger claims his new 6 Pro can actually beat those times.