Posts From Aamir Siddiqui

Aamir Siddiqui
Aamir Siddiqui

I am a tech journalist with XDA since 2015, while being a qualified business-litigation lawyer with experience in the field. A low-end smartphone purchase in 2011 brought me to the forums, and it's been a journey filled with custom ROMs ever since. When not fully dipped in smartphone news, I love traveling to places just to capture pictures of the sun setting. You can reach out to me at [email protected]

Download: MIUI 12.5 Closed Beta for Xiaomi and Redmi devices [Update: May 14 builds]

Download: MIUI 12.5 Closed Beta for Xiaomi and Redmi devices [Update: May 14 builds]

May 17, 2021
The latest version of Xiaomi's custom Android skin - MIUI 12.5 - is finally here. The first incremental update over MIUI 12 has been unveiled at the Mi 11 launch event in China. Compared to MIUI 12, the stable version of which was released less than six months ago, MIUI 12.5 brings in a slew...
Download: MIUI 12 stable update rolling out to several Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices

Download: MIUI 12 stable update rolling out to several Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices

May 17, 2021
MIUI 12 is the newest big release for Xiaomi smartphones, perhaps even bigger than an Android version jump. Features on Xiaomi devices are dictated more by their MIUI versions than the underlying Android version, so a MIUI version upgrade is an exciting event. The first batch of devices to receive the MIUI 12 stable update...
WhatsApp faces fresh trouble in Germany for its new privacy policy

WhatsApp faces fresh trouble in Germany for its new privacy policy

May 12, 2021
WhatsApp's new privacy policy has initiated plenty of conversations around the world, both among consumers and among regulators. Even as WhatsApp resolved to not take immediate coercive action against users who do not accept the new policy, and instead present them with a gradual nag-screen and account limitations, data protection regulators are swinging into action...
Sony’s DualSense controller now works with PS Remote Play on Apple devices

Sony’s DualSense controller now works with PS Remote Play on Apple devices

May 11, 2021
PS Remote Play started off as a Sony Xperia Z series exclusive, allowing certain devices like the Xperia Z3 to connect to a PlayStation 4 gaming console on the same network and stream console games to the smartphone. You could play either with the DualShock 4 controller or use the on-screen buttons. Remote Play was...
Download: OnePlus 9 series receives OxygenOS 11.2.5.5 update with camera improvements and May security patch

Download: OnePlus 9 series receives OxygenOS 11.2.5.5 update with camera improvements and May security patch

May 10, 2021
The OnePlus 9 series is the current flagship lineup from OnePlus, and the company has rolled out a fair few updates with fixes and improvements in the past two months. The latest update rolling out to the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro is OxygenOS 11.2.5.5, with further camera improvements and a bump up to...
[Update: Not really] WhatsApp scraps May 15 deadline for its controversial privacy policy

[Update: Not really] WhatsApp scraps May 15 deadline for its controversial privacy policy

May 7, 2021
WhatsApp had recently announced a new privacy policy to clarify how the company collects and uses data when a user messages a business. However, because of WhatsApp’s failure to properly educate users on the changes, implications of data sharing with Facebook, a healthy dose of skepticism, and social media being social media, millions of users were...
Google Play Store’s new Safety section will show you how apps use your data

Google Play Store’s new Safety section will show you how apps use your data

May 6, 2021
In December 2020, Apple put into place a somewhat controversial requirement for app listings in its App Store: Privacy Labels. These privacy labels essentially provide a quick rundown of the data that the app collects or has access to, and further, what the app does with it. Google now wants to walk along a similar...
Android 12 “Snow Cone”: Everything we know so far about Google’s next big update, with changes from Developer Preview 3!

Android 12 “Snow Cone”: Everything we know so far about Google’s next big update, with changes from Developer Preview 3!

May 3, 2021
Android is the world's most popular smartphone operating system, running on billions of smartphones around the world. As a result, even the tiniest of changes in the OS has the potential to affect millions of users. But because of the way that Android updates are delivered, it's debatable whether these changes actually make a difference....
Google still struggles with transparency over Play Store app removals [Update: App Temp. Reinstated]

Google still struggles with transparency over Play Store app removals [Update: App Temp. Reinstated]

May 3, 2021
Android as an OS has been around for over a decade now and compared to iOS, it does offer a lot more freedom. However, Google maintains dominance over app distribution on the Android platform. Even if Android is open to third-party app stores and sideloading, we can't trivialize Google's hold over the smartphone ecosystem built...
These are the best cases, covers and skins for the regular Galaxy Note 20 in May 2021

These are the best cases, covers and skins for the regular Galaxy Note 20 in May 2021

April 29, 2021
The Galaxy Note 20 series is one of the more attention-worthy releases from 2020, and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is clearly the star of the show here. But the Note 20 Ultra also costs a pretty penny, so a lot of users would prefer spending lesser and getting the Galaxy Note 20 instead. If you've...
Vivo V21 5G with 44MP OIS selfie camera launches in India

Vivo V21 5G with 44MP OIS selfie camera launches in India

April 29, 2021
Just a few days ago, Vivo took the wraps off the new Vivo V21 series, featuring two devices that came with a 44MP OIS selfie camera as their headlining feature. The two phones in the series are identical, save for the presence of a 5G modem in one and not the other. Vivo is now...
Samsung Galaxy M42 5G launches in India with Snapdragon 750G and Android 11

Samsung Galaxy M42 5G launches in India with Snapdragon 750G and Android 11

April 28, 2021
Today, Samsung has launched its cheapest 5G smartphone in India, the Galaxy M42 5G. From the looks of it, this device is a rebrand of the Galaxy A42 5G that was launched in October 2020 globally but not in India. The only changes are increased numbers for the RAM. Samsung Galaxy M42 5G: Specifications Specification Samsung Galaxy M42...