5G

Apple has just confirmed that its next Special Event will take place on April 20, 2021. Huawei has also gone ahead and scheduled a "new tablet debut" for the same day. This announcement, made through the OEM's official Japanese-language Twitter account, might lead to the unveiling of the MatePad Pro 2, a rumored iPad Pro competitor.

BlackBerry's latest owner, OnwardMobility, has committed to bringing the brand's signature physical keyboard back in a 5G phone soon. A tech blog has published work that imagines how such a phone might be designed in 2021. It combines triple rear cameras and a curved display with a new take on the classic feature.

The Redmi Note 10 series is now available in India - on the other hand, it is missing its vanilla 5G variant. Now, there are signs that this Dimensity 700-powered phone is coming to the market after all, albeit under a different name. Xiaomi has attested that it will bear the POCO brand in India - and possibly in the US as well.

Apple is prepping an under-display Face ID system for its iPhones, according to renowned Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo. The system will debut in Apple’s 2023 models and will mean the elimination of the controversial display notch creating a true all-screen iPhone for the first time.

Samsung has teased its third Galaxy Unpacked even for the year, scheduling it for April 28 at 10am ET. The event promises to reveal “the most powerful Galaxy” device yet launched, but is unlikely to be a new Galaxy smartphone which what people typically think of when they hear or see “Galaxy” anywhere.

The LG Wing is, as it turns out, one of this OEM's last ever high-end smartphones. It is also the only one around with an innovative "swivel-action" main display. It is currently on sale for 62% (or ~US$665) off its normal price via Flipkart in India: clearly, the retailer has noticed LG has left the smartphone market.

The ZenFone 7 series is Asus' 2020 camera-focused flagship phone series. Despite this, the 2 devices are only just now receiving the OTA to update them to Android 11. This worldwide roll-out also upgrades their security patch level to March 5, 2021.

Have you ever looked at your iPhone 12 Pro and thought it just wasn't 2019 Mac Pro enough? A new case means you can indeed apply the desktop's signature "cheesegrater" texture to the mobile device - provided you have a 3D printer, of course. Its designer has taken inspiration from alleged Apple IP that might make the idea a reality.

A number of recent tips have pointed to the imminent launch of the Galaxy A82, although it might also be known as the Quantum2 in its maker Samsung's native South Korea. However, it now seems it will drop the distinctive flip-cam mechanism of its predecessor the A80 and become just another 2021 candy-bar device. Ice Universe claims to have hands-on images that confirm this rumor once and for all.

Xiaomi has only just released its inaugural foldable in its native China. It has also announced its potential out-of-warranty repair costs, which specify amounts for which a whole new conventional flagship could be bought instead in some cases. For example, a 16GB Mi Mix Fold official motherboard replacement costs more than a brand-new Mi 11 Pro right now.

The Velvet 5G UW is the Verizon version of this LG premium mid-ranger. It was announced and released in 2020, and is now receiving the major software update that upgrades the phone to Android 11. It comes with new features such as conversation bubbles, Nearby Share and Focus Mode, and also raises the security patch level to that of March 2021.

Steve Hemmerstoffer is at it again with an exclusive leak of the eagerly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. The Fan Edition variant of the Galaxy S21 is expected to debut in the coming months and should offer excellent bang-for-buck for users looking for a more alternative to the regular, but more premium Galaxy S21.

A Weibo account associated with Lenovo has released teasers for a new tablet called the Yoga Pad Pro - which might prove to be the Chinese variant of a slate to be called the Yoga Tab 13 in international markets. It is to be accompanied by another 11-inch tablet, as well as what might be a Yoga Duet 7i refresh.

The Xiaomi brand Redmi has indicated it will launch its first-ever Android phone for gaming in 2021. According to the leaker Digital Chat Station, it might be here sooner rather than later. The device is also now slated to launch in India as well as China, and to start at a markedly low ~US$300.

Microsoft has implemented what it calls the world's first liquid-cooling system for high-performance computing (HPC), at a datacenter located in Washington, US. This prototype rig type uses a custom-designed, electronics-safe dielectric fluid rather than water, which means the servers in question can be immersed in it directly. This, as the OEM asserts, confers various advantages over alternatives such as air-cooling.

The OnePlus 9R was originally presented as a "gaming" alternative variant of the OEM's latest flagship Android smartphone series that was exclusive to India. However, the company has now announced that it is to be available in China as well. The Snapdragon 870-powered device will debut in its new market in mid-April 2021.

Counterpoint Research has just released its first top-10 list of the best-selling smartphones in 2021. It shows that Apple dominates these rankings with no less than 6 different iPhones. They include every variant of the 12 series, although some were better placed than others. Samsung and Xiaomi secured the remaining slots.

ZTE has raised eyebrows with its first serious challenger to the high-end Android smartphone market with the impending launch of the Axon 30 Ultra. However, hopes that it might also be competitively prices have been dashed with a rumor pointing to a US$1,200 starting price.

Not much has been heard of HTC since it launched its Desire 21 Pro in January 2021. However, the OEM reportedly intends to stay in the smartphone industry for at least the rest of this year, with new 5G devices ready to go from the second quarter (2Q2021). HTC may also consolidate its presence in the enterprise-grade virtual or augmented reality (VR or AR) sector with new hardware and services.

Lenovo's second gaming smartphone, the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2, is finally official. Some of its key specs include a 6.9-inch 144Hz AMOLED screen, up to 18GB of RAM, a pop-up selfie camera and a massive 5,500mAh battery. Prices start at EUR 799 for the base variant, which will be up for grabs in May.

With LG’s unfortunate exit from the smartphone market, owners of the company’s handsets have rightly been worried about the relative longevity of their devices. LG has now confirmed that it will stick by its existing customers and deliver additional OS over the coming two to three years.

A new report tells us that Qualcomm has secured a deal with TSMC to manufacture some parts on the latter's 5nm and 6nm process node. Whether this is for bolstering existing Snapdragon 888 capacities or for an entirely different line of products remains to be seen.

The OPPO Reno series are smartphones with a half-yearly release cycle and an increasing tendency toward premium specs. The latest leak suggests that some of them might launch with Snapdragon 870 and 888 processors. They are also likely to launch with 65W charging

ZTE has revealed that its Axon30 line of Snapdragon 888-powered Android flagships will launch on April 15, 2021. The OEM has also strongly hinted at a rear camera hump that will contain 3 sensors of 64MP in resolution, with an extra periscope zoom lens in higher-end variants. The devices might also have a 4,500mAh battery with a 55W charging speed.

The Legion 2 Pro is touted to become the world's first dual-fan gaming smartphone on its launch. New leaks might partially confirm this tip while spoiling its unique design in the process. These images show a mobile device with the back-lit logo one might expect from this upcoming Lenovo product, contained in a highly distinctive rear panel.

New rumors are swirling about the upcoming X70 Pro+ from Vivo. Currently, these speculations point to minimal improvements over the current X60 Pro+. The new phone will have the same SoC, a slightly larger camera sensor, and a slightly larger battery.

The Huawei P50 has now leaked in renders alongside its P50 Pro, and P50 Pro+ stablemates. As with its counterpart, the Huawei P50 will feature a particularly unusual looking rear camera arrangement although they will still be made in conjunction with Leica.

The April 2021 security update for the Google Pixel series comes with connectivity, camera, and stability improvements for the entire lineup, but the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G get a noticeable gaming performance boost. However, the new patch arrives after the first stable Android 11 update which unfortunately came with a decline in performance.

Under-display selfie camera; new 50MP Samsung main camera; up to 120W charging: the upcoming next-gen Vivo NEX is now slated to have it all. On the other hand, this phone might rock a constantly polarizing quad-curved display. It is also now said to launch in the next half of 2021.

The Huawei MatePad Pro 2 is currently touted as an upcoming rival to the iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S7-series slates. According to a Weibo-based tipster, it might launch with HarmonyOS in China, at least. This new leak includes screenshots indicating that this UI will provide a "Dual Dock" when in tablet mode.

Lenovo avoided punch-holes or notches in the display of its first-gen Android gaming phone by developing an innovative pop-up selfie camera, hidden in one of this device's sides rather than in its top edge, instead. Now, the OEM has revealed this feature is making a comeback in its upcoming Legion 2 Pro flagship, leaving its 144Hz screen free of any interruptions.

The OnePlus 9 proves to be a very good smartphone in our review. However, we noticed more than just positive things during our review of the new OnePlus smartphone...

OnePlus has just launched the 9 series of flagship phones. Despite this, it has felt the need to push a software update to the 2 devices already with tweaks for their Hasselblad-branded cameras.

2021's iPhones are currently projected to turn out as more or less iterative upgrades over their predecessors; on the other hand, these changes might be significant for those with strong feelings about the notches that have dominated this series' displays for so many years. The latest leak, which might pertain to the new Pro model, reiterates existing tips that point to a smaller cut-out for the "13" variant's screen.

Lenovo is currently hyping the imminent launch of its second-gen gaming phone with some of its high-powered specs prior to this event. They include its generous FHD+ AMOLED display with its 144Hz refresh rate. It will be kept on with a 5,500mAh battery that will apparently charge at up to 90 watts (W).

With the OnePlus 9 Pro, the manufacturer has made a great effort to ensure that the battery is quickly full again. It's even supposed to be recharged super fast wirelessly now. We took a look at whether this is true.

The premium smartphone brand iQOO has teased a new launch for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888-powered device in India. A prominent leaker asserts that it is not merely the iQOO 7, but the BMW-themed Legendary version. It will cost ~US$545 at the most in its new market.

Google will reportedly use its own custom SoCs codenamed Whitechapel in the Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 XL. The smartphones, codenamed 'Raven' and 'Oriole', will be launched together sometime this fall.

The projected 2021 upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip hint that this upcoming clamshell foldable will have a improved display and design compared to its forebear. Then again, a new leak suggests it will also stick with the underwhelming battery capacity of yesteryear.

A device called the Samsung Galaxy A Quantum 2 - possibly the South Korean product name for the A82 - has appeared on the Google Play Console A82. According to its new leaks, it will launch with 6GB of RAM, an FHD+ screen and the former flagship Snapdragon 855 Plus processor.

The OPPO Reno5 smartphones has been around for about 6 months now; therefore, going by this line's usual release cycle, it might nearly be time for a 6 series launch. New leaks suggest that they are indeed in the works, and will debut with similar premium mid-range specs, although at least 1 variant might get a newer SoC.

Repeated leaks have pointed to the imminent arrival of a new member of the Lenovo Yoga Tab series. Now, the FCC has certified a device going by this device's alleged model number, indicating that it is destined for the US market, at least. It may launch there with the Snapdragon 870 processor, and, thus, as an Android slate.

Lenovo's upcoming gaming smartphone, the Legion 2 Pro, just showed up on the Master Lu benchmark database. It managed to defeat the Asus ROG Phone 5 by a somewhat narrow margin, with a total score of 962,115, which is a tad higher than the latter's score of 947,284. Lenovo will launch the smartphone in China on April 8.

The V13 is a new Realme phone launched on the Chinese market today. Admittedly, its processor - the MediaTek Dimensity 700 - has been seen before. It is joined by a 90Hz display and a 5000mAh battery in its latest vehicle, which, as rumor has it, might launch in other regions as the Realme 8 5G soon.

The ubiquitous chip-design IP-holder Arm perceives the future as one in which processing demands will trend strongly towards AI and data-security needs while moving away from general computing. The company aims to meet it with its latest v9 architecture, packed with advanced support for pursuits such as machine learning (ML) and digital-signal processing (DSP).

The Realme GT Neo has launched as the world's first Dimensity 1200-powered phone. This new MediaTek flagship processor has debuted in a chassis with many potential advantages, including an FHD+ AMOLED screen with an up-to-date refresh rate, Wi-Fi 6 and UFS 3.1 storage. It starts at about US$275 for a 6GB RAM version, although a 12GB option is also available for a good price.