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The Google Pixel 5's Portrait Light feature rolls out to older Pixel phones
The Google Pixel 5's Portrait Light feature, which lets you adjust the lighting of an selfie, is now rolling out to older Pixel phones.
The Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G were both recently announced as part of Google's Pixel lineup. We've already covered both smartphones as well as the smaller, non-5G Pixel 4a in plenty of detail before. As expected, these Pixel phones have amazing cameras and are priced much more competitively compared to previous offerings from Google. Alongside these new Pixel devices, Google introduced new camera features. One of them is called Portrait Light, and it allows you to dynamically tweak and edit lighting, brightness around the faces, and lighting angle of portrait photos so you can have your selfie exactly how you imagined it to be. As with most Pixel camera features, Portrait Light is all software-based, which means that older Pixel phones should be capable of using it.
Nokia 2 V Tella is an $89 budget phone for Verizon with the MediaTek Helio A22 SoC
The Nokia 2 V Tella is a new budget smartphone from HMD Global that will come to Verizon's network with dirt cheap pricing.
HMD Global's Nokia smartphone lineup is pretty straightforward: the lower the model number, the lower-end the device. For example, the Nokia 1 is the lowest-end device from the company, while the Nokia 9 PureView is the company's highest-end model. But there are also secondary models that branch off from the main line, and the differences between these devices can get pretty confusing. Case in point, the new Nokia 2 V Tella: A new budget smartphone announced today that's available for Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S. The Nokia 2 V is essentially a rebranded Nokia 2.1, so the new 2 V Tella seems to be more of the same. For its price, it seems to actually be a pretty decent phone for Verizon customers in the U.S. who have a lower budget.
Google Assistant smart displays are getting a brand new UI with dark mode and multi-account support
Google Assistant-powered smart display devices such as the Nest Hub Max are getting a new UI with dark mode, multi-account support, and more.
Several years ago, it used to be that Google software could only, or mostly, be found on your PC or on your smartphone. Fast forward to 2020, though, and you can have Google help you out on almost every corner of your house. Whether it's a smart speaker or a smart display, you can just ask the Google Assistant for answers to your burning questions wherever you are. Smart displays are a really interesting case as they serve as hubs that connect your whole home, and you don't need to necessarily use them with your voice. They also allow for light media consumption as well as video calls.
Sony Xperia 5 II and Motorola Razr 5G kernel sources are now available
The Sony Xperia 5 II and the Motorola Razr 5G now both have kernel sources, so developers can get around to tinker with these phones.
We always cover the latest and greatest from manufacturers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, but there are still several Android phone manufacturers that are doing exciting things, yet they don't get as much of a spotlight from news outlets. Take, for example, the Sony Xperia 5 II and the Motorola Razr 5G. The Sony Xperia 5 II was just announced a month back and features Sony's ultra-tall 21:9 form factor with the latest Snapdragon 865 processor, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card slot. Then there's the Motorola Razr 5G, a follow-up to last year's Motorola Razr, a nostalgia-filled foldable smartphone serving as a reboot to a long-abandoned Motorola brand.
Facebook starts rolling out a tabbed news feed for some Android users
The Facebook app for Android seems to be testing options to sort your News Feed by 3 different options: Most Recent, Most Relevant and Already Seen.
Facebook has long been at the helm of social media. With over 2.5 billion monthly active users, which accounts for roughly a third of the world's population, it is huge in numbers. And as a company, they also own other apps and social networks such as Instagram and WhatsApp, both of which are also huge in their own right. Given this huge userbase, a big chunk of which are mobile users, it goes unmentioned that the company puts a lot of care to their Facebook app's experience, even though it's been often regarded as "bloated." Nonetheless, they do, and the app is now getting new features to make feed exploring more comfortable, as shown in the tweet below by reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong.
Sony updates PS Remote Play on Android to support the PlayStation 5
Sony's PS Remote Play app is getting an update that adds support for the upcoming PlayStation 5. Read on to know more!
The PlayStation 5 is right around the corner now, and with it, the next generation of consoles is coming. I'm gonna be honest with you: even with the rise of game streaming services like Google Stadia and Microsoft's xCloud, I'm still more of a fan of owning my own hardware and playing things locally. And owning your own hardware doesn't mean that you have to be in front of your console either. With Sony's PlayStation Remote Play app, you can play all of your favorite games on your console, no matter where you are.
YouTube Music finally lets free users download playlists containing uploaded music
YouTube Music now finally allows you to download uploaded music on your playlists, instead of individually downloading. Read on to know more!
YouTube Music is going to replace Google Play Music, but there are plenty of reasons why people have been holding onto Play Music. Namely, the fact that Play Music has a bunch of features that YouTube Music either implements pretty badly or straight up doesn't have. But as the window for escaping the Google Play Music boat before it sinks is approaching, YouTube Music has been adding features constantly to bring it to feature parity with its predecessor. Recently, it got support for uploading your own music, but the implementation wasn't quite the same as uploads in Google Play Music. Now, though, you can download uploaded songs contained in playlists if you're a free user.
OnePlus unveils the Bullets Wireless Z Bass Edition and a 10,000mAh Power Bank in India
OnePlus has announced a revised pair of its Bullets Wireless Z wireless earphones and a new 10000mAh Power Bank for India.
At an online event today, OnePlus took to the virtual stage to announce the OnePlus 8T, a notable revision over the OnePlus 8 with more bells and whistles like a 120Hz display and 65W charging. We've had a chance to review it, and we found it to be an awesome T series upgrade. In addition, OnePlus also announced the OnePlus Buds Z, a cheaper version of the OnePlus Buds that comes with tweaks such as silicone tips and an IP55 rating. But that's not all the company announced. If you're not a fan of true wireless earbuds and would prefer neckband-style earphones, then you're probably holding out hope for a new version of the Bullets Wireless. If you happen to live in India, we have good news: OnePlus has announced the Bullets Wireless Z Bass Edition, a minor revision of the existing Bullets Wireless Z.
Download the live wallpapers from the Google Pixel 5 on any device
The Google Pixel 5 is out. But if you're not getting one right now, yet still want the looks, you can download its live wallpapers now!
The Google Pixel 5 is now officially out, and the reviews are raving wild, including our own. It serves as Google's best flagship value proposition in years. While the device doesn't carry the latest and greatest Snapdragon 800-series processor—the first "premium" Pixel to not feature a flagship processor—it still features all of the camera prowess that Pixel phones have been known for, the amazing 90Hz display featured in the Pixel 4 (in a much more modern form factor with a hole-punch display), and the Snapdragon 765G still delivers good performance. But it'll set you back $700 in the U.S., which, while less than previous Pixel phones, is not exactly cheap either.
The OnePlus Buds Z are affordable true wireless earbuds with fast charging support
The OnePlus Buds Z, the company's latest true wireless earbuds, have been announced. They're affordable and have fast charging support.
OnePlus has been making wireless audio accessories for a while now, but they've mostly been wireless earphones rather than the true wireless earbuds that are all the rage these days. Don't get me wrong: the OnePlus Bullets Wireless are great Bluetooth earphones, but some people would prefer to have a pair of truly wireless earbuds. Enter the OnePlus Buds: the company's first foray into the TWS earbud segment with a design pretty in line with the rest of the industry. But these earbuds aren't perfect: Their half in-ear design might be too loose for some users, the IPX4 rating might not offer enough protection, and the price may be more than some people can stomach. OnePlus' answer to all of these complaints comes in the form of the new OnePlus Buds Z, a pair of true wireless earbuds that are even more affordable than their first-gen Buds.
Google tests a new background suspension feature in Android 11 that could improve battery life
Google is testing a new background suspension feature in Android 11 meant to improve battery life. Check out whether you want it enabled!
Unless you have a considerable amount of RAM on your Android smartphone (some Android phones are coming out today with up to 16 GB of RAM, an amount that would've been unthinkable 4 or 5 years ago), you might have found that multitasking on Android can sometimes be a less than stellar experience. Efforts are made with almost every major Android release to try and fix this. But you still need a lot of resources: using a smartphone with 4 GB of RAM in 2020 can get pretty limiting, and 2 GB is only reserved for the absolute low-end of the spectrum. Sometimes it also comes down to a choice between battery life or multitasking, though, as apps running in the background can hog battery heavily. In an attempt to improve battery life, Google is testing a new feature on Android 11.
YouTube Music for Android TV adds uploaded music playback support, a new player UI, and more
The YouTube Music app for Android TV is getting an update that adds a revamped player UI, support for playing uploaded music, and more.
With the release of the new Google Chromecast, Google is now doubling down on their Android TV experience, which they have renamed to Google TV on this device and other devices launching in the future. Despite the rebranding, all your favorite Android TV apps will continue working on the new Chromecast with Google TV, but many of them will get updates to match the new experience. One app that is getting this treatment today is YouTube Music, Google's music streaming service that was launched for TVs this past July, with a much needed revamp that brings it more in line with the mobile version of the app.
The Huawei Mate 40 series is launching on October 22
The Huawei Mate 40 series is coming, and now we know Huawei is indeed working on it and will launch it on October 22, 2020. Read on for more!
So here's some news that you've already heard: Huawei is preparing to launch new flagship smartphones, and they will be called the Huawei Mate 40 series. We also know the United States is giving Huawei a very hard time, meaning that this might very well be the last "normal" Huawei smartphone as the company keeps looking for new ways to dodge sanctions and reinvent themselves. Despite this, though, the launch is going forward and we'll see the devices launch to the market. When, exactly? Huawei has both confirmed the name of the lineup, Huawei Mate 40 series, and announced an event for the devices on October 22nd, when they'll talk a bit more in-depth about the phones and what they will be packing.
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel goes on sale in Europe for €1000
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is a gaming smartphone that's now available in Europe with a €1000 price tag. Here's where you can buy it.
In a sea of gaming smartphones, every manufacturer needs some feature to make their device stand out from the rest. In the case of ASUS and their ROG devices, they get away with bulky, powerful smartphones with bleeding-edge technology. The Legion Phone Duel from Lenovo takes a unique approach to gaming smartphones. We've covered this device in plenty of detail in previous articles, but what makes the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel stand out is not its specs. Those are as expected: It has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC, up to 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, and a buttery smooth 144Hz display. What makes this phone stand out is that it's made to be used horizontally.
OPPO brings the Reno4 Pro 5G, Reno4 5G, and Reno4 Z 5G to the UK
The OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G, the Reno4 5G and the Reno4 Z 5G are now launching in the UK with 5G capabilities. Check them out!
OPPO recently launched its Reno4 lineup as part of its Reno series, which launches roughly twice a year. And these devices offer a pretty good value, all things considered. But since the launch of the OPPO Reno3 lineup, they've been taking a (sort of) different approach to the way they launch devices globally. The phone that launched as the Reno3 Pro in India and other markets, for example, is way different than the one that launched as the Reno3 Pro in China. That device launched as the Find X2 Neo globally. A similar thing happened with the Reno4 in how the Pro variant launched in India with a Snapdragon 720G and quad rear cameras. Now, though, the same Reno4 phones that launched in China earlier this year are launching in the UK as the Reno4 Pro 5G and the Reno4 5G, as well as the newer Reno4 Z 5G.
The European Union wants to force OEMs to let users uninstall bloatware
The European Union, as part of an upcoming measure, might force smartphone OEMs selling devices in Europe to make bloatware uninstallable.
Bloatware and carrier phones: name a more iconic duo. The number of preinstalled apps on some smartphones has grown so much these days that people still come to our forums to flash stock Android builds to get rid of the bloat. Bloatware is often preloaded on smartphones by carriers or even smartphone manufacturers themselves. They are often annoying services you will probably never use but you probably can't uninstall, either. Since carrier devices are often fairly locked down, most users can't get rid of these unwanted apps without mucking around with ADB. Thankfully, the European Union has a plan: It wants to force smartphone manufacturers to let users uninstall the bloatware that comes preloaded on these devices, according to the Financial Times.
[Update: Charger design] OnePlus 8T's 4500mAh battery takes 35 minutes to charge with Warp Charge 65
The OnePlus 8T is coming with Warp Charge 65, the latest version of OnePlus' proprietary charging technology, with 65W fast charging speeds.
OnePlus devices have been coming with some form of fast charging since 2016 when the OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T were announced with Dash Charge as one of their headlining features. Dash Charge offered 20W wired charging speeds, which was fast at the time. Over the years, other companies started to catch up and offer even faster charging speeds. OnePlus then introduced Warp Charge 30 which brought the charging speeds up to 30W, starting with the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition and more widely with the OnePlus 7 Pro. It's 2020, though, and 30W charging can barely be considered fast now. With the upcoming OnePlus 8T, the company will be introducing Warp Charge 65, as we've been expecting.
HMD Global's Nokia 7.3 leaks in high quality 3D renders
The Nokia 7.3, a new 5G mid-range phone by HMD Global, is coming soon, and we now have our first look at the device.
Nokia-branded smartphones, made by HMD Global, don't always offer the best value proposition, but they make for some amazing smartphones nonetheless. Earlier this week, HMD Global released the Nokia 8.3 5G, the company's first 5G smartphone which comes equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G system-on-chip, a near-stock build of Android 10, a 64MP quad rear camera setup, a 120Hz LCD, and much more. It's not a true flagship phone, but seeing as HMD Global specializes in the mid-range smartphone space, that's to be expected. Now, following last year's release of the Nokia 7.2, HMD Global is allegedly gearing up to release its successor in the Nokia 7.3. Renders of the device come courtesy of OnLeaks in collaboration with a site called IPEEWorld, giving us a glimpse of the upcoming device from all angles. If you're fond of Nokia-branded Android smartphones, you'll probably like this one.
Here's when the Realme UI 2.0 beta based on Android 11 will roll out
The Realme UI 2.0 beta based on Android 11 is coming soon to multiple Realme smartphones. Here's when the early access update will roll out!
Realme UI 2.0 was recently announced as the latest version of Realme's custom Android software. The new version of Realme UI is based on ColorOS 11, the latest version of OPPO's custom Android software built on top of Android 11. ColorOS 11 comes with several new features on top of Android 11, such as many theming options and Google Lens integration for translations, and Realme UI 2.0 comes with all of these features as well. But as a Realme user, you're probably wondering when you'll actually be getting an update. Thankfully, Realme has now released a roadmap for its "early access" program for a number of devices in the company's lineup.
Here's our first look at the Google Pixel 5 in Green
The Google Pixel 5 is coming to store shelves very soon, and now, we've gotten a glimpse at it in Green thanks to two new leaks.
We're nearing September 30th, which means that we're about to see what Google has in store with the Google Pixel 5, the company's latest and greatest smartphone. We already know that, despite Google's strategy in previous years, the Pixel 5 won't carry the flagship Snapdragon 800 series chip. Instead, it's going for the upper mid-range Snapdragon 765G. But it will have 5G connectivity, the amazing cameras that have become a headline Pixel feature, and the latest Android 11 release out of the box. Google has notably managed to keep Pixel 5 leaks to a minimum compared to last year's Pixel 4 disaster, but still, some leaks have made it through. Now, we have our first look at some Pixel 5 renders. Particularly, of a new color option: green.