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Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite Review: Democratizing the S Pen experience
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite brings the S Pen to the masses. Does it distinguish itself as an affordable flagship? Read on for our full review.
The Samsung Galaxy Note series has a rich history of being the first proper big-screen phones that gained widespread popularity. The original Galaxy Note familiarized the "phablet" term and conventionalized larger footprint devices. The S Pen created its own niche. Big displays took over the world. However, with the increase in popularity came the increase in pricing. Samsung has steadily increased the prices of the Galaxy Note series each generation, to the point where the top-end Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ costs $1,100/₹79,999. The price of admission for Samsung's most powerful phones each year has been creeping up. We know Galaxy Note users are loyal users because of the unique blend of functionality, but how loyal can they be in the face of stringent price increases? For how long can the consumer continue to pay top dollar for the latest Note flagship just to get the premium S Pen experience? Samsung is perfectly aware of this conundrum, and its answer to this question was to launch the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite last month.
The new Google Assistant is now available for G Suite users on the Pixel 4
Pixel 4 users with G Suite accounts can use the new Google Assistant. Previously, it was available only for personal Google accounts.
The original Google Assistant was a Google Pixel-exclusive for many months from its launch in October 2016, until Google rolled it out for hundreds of millions of Android phones in 2017. Similarly, the new Google Assistant, which launched in October 2019 alongside the Google Pixel 4, remains a Pixel 4-only exclusive. It comes with new features such as continued conversations, making it feel far more like a human being. It's integrated with the Chrome browser and can do many on-device tasks, including in third-party apps. It comes with a new minimal user interface and a trimmed size, but its availability is heavily limited as only Pixel 4 users are able to use it. What's more, even that was limited as not all Pixel 4 users could use it. Those who used G Suite accounts didn't have the new Assistant, as it was available only for personal Google accounts. Now, Google seems to be rolling out the Assistant for some G Suite users on the Pixel 4.
[Update: Rolling out widely] Android 10 "Rules" automation feature rolls out to some Pixel devices
The Rules feature in Android 10 has started rolling out to some Pixel users. It helps users automate changes that they regularly make in Settings.
Back in May, we discovered the first signs of a new feature in Android Q Beta 3, code-named "Routines". Strings in the SettingsIntelligence APK showed that the feature would be presented to users as "Rules", but it wasn't live for any Pixel user. Rules are Google's take on Bixby Routines, and much of the same functionality can also be found in Google Assistant Routines. In July, Mishaal was able to fully activate the feature on a Google Pixel 2 XL running Android Q Beta 5, but the feature still hadn't rolled out. At that time, we thought that the feature would be shown off as part of the Google Pixel 4's launch Android 10 software, as it was a bit too late for Google to add the feature in the first stable Android 10 release. However, the Pixel 4's launch came and went last week, and we noted that Rules was not present on the launch software, which was strange as the feature had been in development for at least five months already.
Google Contacts can now back up and sync contacts saved to device storage
Google Contacts now has an optional feature to automatically back up and sync contacts that are saved to a user's device storage.
Google Contacts is Google's first-party contacts app on Android. The app is the default Contacts app on Pixel and Android One phones, and can be downloaded for other phones via the Play Store. Over the years, it has become a feature-rich app, and its design is in conformity with Google's Material Theme guidelines. It has a dark theme, too. Google has now addressed a feature gap of the app. It wasn't able to backup and sync contacts that were saved to a phone's device storage instead of being saved to a Google Account. Now, thanks to a server-side switch, it can - at least on some phones.
Realme 5 Pro and Realme X start getting Android 10 with Realme UI
Realme has started rolling out the Android 10-based Realme UI to the Realme 5 Pro and the Realme X. The update brings quite a few new features.
Realme, a BBK Electronics-owned brand, separated from OPPO in July 2018 as it started operating as an independent brand. However, the company still used OPPO's ColorOS custom user interface based on Android for all of its phones. In 2019, it first stated that it would develop a new "RealmeOS," but the plans for the same were shelved in November 2019. Realme shifted gears to developing a lightly customized variant of OPPO's Android 10-based ColorOS 7, which it called Realme UI. In January, it rolled out the stable Android 10 update with Realme UI to the Realme 3 Pro and the Realme XT. It also opened beta programs for rolling out the update to the Realme X2 and the Realme X2 Pro, while clarifying that the Realme 1, Realme C1, and Realme 2 would not get the update. Now, it has rolled out the stable Android 10-based Realme UI update to the Realme 5 Pro (review) and the Realme X (review).
HTC Wildfire R70 announced with triple cameras and ancient microUSB port
HTC has announced a new phone for India and Thailand: the HTC Wildfire R70. It's a low-end phone with a 6.53-inch HD+ display and MediaTek Helio P23 SoC.
HTC still makes phones. While it remains much more focused on the VR market, the company has woken up from its long slumber and announced a new phone for the Indian and Thailand markets: the HTC Wildfire X. If you want to read HTC's recent history, read this article. After months of inactivity in the mobile space, HTC's new CEO Yves Maitre recently stated in an interview that the company will launch a 5G phone this year. This was expected to be made in cooperation with Qualcomm. The company's last phone launch under its own manufacturing were the HTC U19e and Desire 19+. In August 2019, it announced the HTC Wildfire X for the Indian market. However, the Wildfire X was not an HTC phone in the true sense, as HTC had made an agreement with Indian device makers Lava, Micromax, and Karbonn to use its licensed brand name for new phones, and the Wildfire X had actually been made by Lava. The new HTC Wildfire R70 is a similar phone. In India, it will be made by one of HTC's brand partners. The Thailand / international variant may be made by HTC itself, or it may be developed by another local OEM/ODM. Here is the specifications list for the Wildfire R70:
The Microsoft Office update for Android adds dual screen support on LG phones
The new Microsoft Office app for Android now has dual screen support for LG phones that have the Dual Screen attachment.
Microsoft Office on mobile has had a long history. Office Mobile was first released for the deprecated Windows Mobile OS back in the late 2000s. Then, Microsoft brought it to Windows Phone, but the functionality was quite limited as it wasn't even on par with other productivity apps. The modern Office apps' inception was actually on iOS, and not on Windows Phone. The company separately released the Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for iOS, before bringing them to Android in June 2015. The apps were launched for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile later that year. Their functionality was better than Google's Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps on Android, as they offered quite a few of the advanced features that the desktop applications offer on Windows and macOS.
Microsoft Surface Duo will have a "peek" feature to quickly glance at information
The Microsoft Surface Duo will have a peek feature that will enable users to quickly glance at their notifications by slightly opening the displays.
Since 2007, new touchscreen smartphone launches have been following the slate form factor. Displays have got bigger, the front bezels have been reduced, and we have seen popup camera solutions, but the basic form factor has been the same. Since 2019, though, three new form factors have emerged. The first is a horizontally folding foldable phone with a true foldable display, such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X/Mate Xs. The second is the vertically folding phone with a true foldable display, such as the Motorola Razr and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. The third, however, is a foldable phone that doesn't have a foldable display at all. Instead, it features dual screens that have an hinge in between. This form factor was shown off by ZTE in 2017 with the Axon M, but it took until 2019 for it to get some momentum. The LG V50 ThinQ, LG G8X ThinQ, and the new LG V60 ThinQ come with a Dual Screen attachment that can be attached to their displays for a dual-screen Android experience. Taking things up a notch, Microsoft announced the Surface Duo dual-screen phone in October 2019 along with other Surface products.
TWRP adds support for the Sony Xperia 10/10 Plus
The Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) custom recovery is now available for the Sony Xperia 10 and the Sony Xperia 10 Plus.
The Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) is the most popular custom recovery out there, and for good reason. It offers the best blend of functionality, and it remains easy-to-use. It also has a fairly pleasing user interface. Official TWRP support has recently been added for the Xiaomi Mi A3, Redmi Note 8 Pro, ASUS ROG Phone II, Realme X2, Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite, Nokia 7.1, Snapdragon Motorola Moto E4, and the Xiaomi Redmi 8. Now, official support has been added for the Sony Xperia 10 and Sony Xperia 10 Plus.
Realme 1, 5, 5s, U1, X, and X2 get updates with February 2020 security patches
Realme has started rolling out the February 2020 security patches to the Realme 1, Realme 5, Realme 5s, Realme U1, and the Realme X.
Realme certainly has a fast device release schedule. After launching the flagship Realme X50 Pro (first impressions), the brand has started teasing the upcoming Realme 6 series, and live photos of the Realme 6i have appeared via FCC certification. However, it hasn't forgotten its older phones. It started rolling out ColorOS 7-based Realme UI, powered by Android 10, to the Realme XT, and the Realme 3 Pro, while beta programs are available for the Realme X2 Pro and the Realme X2. For the most part, the company has been diligent with monthly security patch updates as well, as its record here is actually better than OnePlus. Google released the February 2020 security patches three weeks ago. Now, Realme has started rolling them out for the Realme 1, Realme 5, Realme 5s, Realme U1, Realme X2, and the Realme X.
Here are 19 announced and upcoming smartphones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
19 announced and upcoming smartphones from different device makers feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. Read on to know their details.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is Qualcomm's 2020 flagship system-on-chip (SoC) for smartphones. It was announced in December 2019 as the successor to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. This month, we are seeing the first wave of phones launching with the Snapdragon 865. Qualcomm has now made clear which announced and upcoming phones feature the Snapdragon 865. It has done so by announcing a list of 19 announced and upcoming phones that have the chip.
Upcoming Realme 6i appears in live photos via FCC filing
The Realme 6i has received FCC certification, revealing live photos of the phone. Some of its specifications have also been confirmed.
Realme's fast smartphone release schedule shows no sign of ending. The company's Realme 5 series are due for a refresh, as they were announced six months ago. The flagship Realme X2 Pro (review) was succeeded after only four months by the Realme X50 Pro (first impressions). Realme has started teasing the launch of the Realme 6 series in India, making it certain that the launch event will take place soon. The Realme 6 series will consist of the Realme 6, Realme 6 Pro, and the Realme 6i. The Realme 6i will succeed the Realme 5i, which was announced on January 9---less than two months ago. The Realme 6i has now received FCC certification, revealing live photos and specifications of the device.
Samsung begins mass production of 16GB LPDDR5 DRAM package for smartphones
Samsung has announced that it has begun mass production of 16GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM packages for smartphones. The Galaxy S20 Ultra is the first to use it.
Samsung Electronics has announced that it has begun mass production of the industry's first 16 gigabyte (GB) LPDDR5 mobile DRAM package for next-generation premium phones. This announcement comes seven months after the company's announcement of the mass production of the first 12GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM package in July 2019. It had first announced development of 8Gb (gigabit) LPDDR5 RAM in back in July 2018. The 16GB LPDDR5 mobile DRAM package is based on Samsung's second-generation 10nm-class process technology, and features the industry's highest performance and storage capacity. According to the company, the 16GB advancement will lead the premium mobile memory market with added capacity. This will enable enhanced 5G and AI features such as "graphic-rich gaming" and "smart photography."
Sony launches the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 10 II with 21:9 displays, triple rear cameras, and 3.5mm headphone jacks
Sony has launched the Xperia 1 II and the Xperia 10 II. The Xperia I II is a flagship Snapdragon 865-powered flagship, and it has a 6.5" 4K display.
After the cancellation of MWC 2020, Sony decided to announce its new products via an online announcement on February 24. The day has now arrived, and the company has now revealed its new flagship Sony Xperia 1 II (pronounced as Xperia 1 "Mark 2") and the mid-range Xperia 10 II smartphones. The Xperia 1 II succeeds last year's Xperia 1 flagship, while the Xperia 10 II is intended as the successor of both the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Plus. Sony also teased a high-end professional phone for photographers in the form of the Xperia Pro 5G. As is often the case with new flagship smartphone launches, there is a lot to get into. Let's get started with the specifications list.
One Shade themes your notification panel to be like Samsung's One UI
Do you want One UI's great notifications panel but don't have a Samsung phone? The One Shade app themes your notification panel to be like One UI.
Samsung's One UI has largely been acclaimed to be one of the most user-friendly user interfaces. Although One UI is the successor of the maligned TouchWiz and Samsung Experience, it has a different reputation. Samsung smartly designed the user interface in such a way that it prioritizes navigation with a single hand. Therefore, in first-party Samsung apps, user interface elements are moved towards the bottom of the display, instead of being at the top. This is done to ensure one-handed navigation on modern smartphone displays that have large display diagonal sizes and tall aspect ratios. The notification panel and Quick Settings in One UI follows the same UI design philosophy, and it works. What if you don't have a Samsung phone running One UI, though? Can you still get that one-hand friendly notifications panel? It turns out you can, thanks to an app called One Shade.
Samsung says the Galaxy Buds+ multi-device feature only supports Galaxy phones with SmartThings installed
Samsung has clarified to Droid Life that the multi-device feature on the new Galaxy Buds+ supports only Galaxy phones with the SmartThings app installed.
Last year's Samsung Galaxy Buds were Samsung's attempt to enter the truly wireless earbuds market, a market that had been popularized by the Apple AirPods. By most accounts, the Galaxy Buds were a success as they made Samsung one of the major players in this expensive and profitable market. The Galaxy Buds launched alongside the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. One year later, the company launched an upgraded variant of the earbuds called the Galaxy Buds+ alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. The new Galaxy Buds+ have better battery life, better audio quality, and better microphones. At launch, Samsung even mentioned "multi-point" (multi-device) support for devices using Bluetooth 5.0, which would have been a major new feature addition. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. The Galaxy Buds do sort of have a multi-device feature, but as Droid Life discovered, it only supports Galaxy phones with the Samsung SmartThings app installed.
Sony Xperia L4 is Sony's latest attempt at the entry-level smartphone market
Sony has launched the Xperia L4 budget smartphone. The phone has a 6.2-inch display and is powered by the MediaTek Helio P22 SoC.
Sony has vacated large regions of the worldwide smartphone market, but it hasn't given up on releasing phones. The company's flagship Sony Xperia 1 and Sony Xperia 5 phones are due for a refresh. The rumored Xperia 1.1 and the Xperia 5 Plus will be launched via an online event after the cancellation of MWC 2020. Sony's budget and lower mid-range phones typically don't tend to perform well in terms of sales except in its home market of Japan. The company is keeping to its strategy, however, of making low-key announcements of budget and lower mid-range phones. The Xperia L series is Sony's series for the entry-level market, and now, Sony has launched the Xperia L4. The Xperia L4 is the successor to last year's Xperia L3.
The iQOO 3 is the first Snapdragon 865 phone that comes in both 4G and 5G models
The iQOO 3 is the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 flagship to come in both 4G and 5G variants. It differentiates itself from purely 5G Snapdragon 865 phones.
It's time for the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 865-powered flagship phones to arrive in the market. The Snapdragon 865 is Qualcomm's 2020 flagship SoC, and it was announced in December. The first phones to be announced with the Snapdragon 865 were the Snapdragon 865 variants of the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. Two days later, Xiaomi launched the Mi 10 and the Mi 10 Pro in China. The next crop of Snapdragon 865 flagships are the Realme X50 Pro and the iQOO 3. Both are scheduled to launch in multiple markets on February 24 and February 25 respectively. The Realme X50 Pro and the iQOO 3 have both been separately marketed as "India's first 5G phone." Details about the iQOO 3 can be viewed in our previous coverage. The interesting thing with the iQOO 3 is that while it's being marketed as India's first 5G phone, it's also simultaneously the first Snapdragon 865-powered phone to come in both 4G and 5G models. To make sense of this, let's delve into the background of the Snapdragon 865's modem.
Download: OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro get OxygenOS Open Beta 9 with January 2020 patches and more
OnePlus has released OxygenOS Open Beta 9 for the OnePlus 7 Pro. The beta update brings January 2020 security patches and a few more optimizations.
OnePlus has started rolling out OxygenOS Open Beta 9 for the OnePlus 7 Pro, its 2019 flagship smartphone. The last OxygenOS Open Beta for the phone, Open Beta 8, brought a one-handed mode and December 2019 security patches. This update enhances the one-handed usage for the dialer app and brings the January 2020 security patches. There are also a few other optimizations. For one, the network has been optimized for a better gaming experience. The weather app crashing issue has been fixed, and the Zen Mode 1.5.0 app now supports OnePlus Account login, synchronization of badges and historical data. Finally, the system stability has been improved and general bugs are said to have been fixed.
[Update 2: Report retracted] Verizon reportedly won't sell the Google Pixel 4a or Pixel 5
According to Android Police, Verizon has put on indefinite hold plans to sell any new Google Pixel phones. It allegedly won't sell the upcoming Pixel 4a.
The struggles that Google has been facing with its hardware division have been well documented. Last year, it exited the tablet space, canceling the successor of the poorly received Pixel Slate. The Google Pixel lineup isn't doing much better. Despite multiple attempts, the phones haven't managed to sell well. Limited distribution aside, the sales numbers of the Pixel 4 are a minor fraction of the sales of Samsung's Galaxy S series or the Apple iPhone, for example. In 2016, Google made an ambitious agreement with Verizon to exclusively sell the first-generation Pixel series in carrier stores, while simultaneously selling unlocked variants online through the Google Store. The exclusive nature of that agreement expired in 2019, but Verizon still remained the major carrier partner for Google. Now, according to Android Police's source, the Verizon-Google carrier sales agreement for the Pixel is dead.