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The new Nokia G50 is a massive budget phone with 5G for $299
HMD Globa's new Nokia G50 smartphone packs a massive 6.8-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC, a 48MP camera and a massive battery.
After launching the Nokia C20 Plus last month, HMD Global has now announced a new budget smartphone. The Nokia G50 is a direct successor to the Nokia G20 that launched in April this year alongside the Nokia G10. The new model looks identical to its predecessor but packs a bigger display and swaps the MediaTek chip for a Snapdragon one.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is an excellent bang-for-buck option, and here's why
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is the first flagship to be launched with the Snapdragon 888. But how well does the phone hold up? Find out in our review!
The Xiaomi Mi 11 launched globally at the start of February, following a China-only launch in December. Being the first Snapdragon 888-powered device to hit the market, it seemed imperfect given a litany of thermal issues and battery complaints from reviewers globally, even if the rest of the device held up very well. I've had my own to play with for the past couple of weeks, and I will be echoing pretty much everything that our senior editor Ben Sin said - this device is premium.
[Update: Confirmed] Android 11 may finally remove Android's 4GB file size limit for video recordings
Android currently limits video recordings to a 4GB file size, which is easy to reach for 4K and 8K videos. Android 11 could remove that limitation.
In 2019, smartphone brands have made huge jumps in camera quality, especially when it comes to zoom and low-light. On the other hand, video quality hasn't been given the same amount of attention. That could change in 2020 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865's improved ISP. Yet, even as Android smartphones are shipping with larger internal storage capacities, have faster modems, and are now supporting 5G networks, an old limitation prevents most of these phones from saving video files that are larger than 4GB in size. However, that could change in Android 11, the next major version of Android that's set to release in 2020.
Xiaomi Redmi 9 is launching soon - Here's what we know so far
Following the launch of the Redmi Note 9 series earlier this year, Xiaomi is now gearing up to launch the Redmi 9 series. Here's everything we know so far.
Following the launch of the Redmi Note 9 series earlier this year, Xiaomi's budget-friendly sub-brand is now prepping up to launch the entry-level Redmi 9 series. While Xiaomi hasn't released any official information about the Redmi 9 series yet, we do have some key details about the upcoming devices, including live images, specifications, and pricing. Here's everything we know about the Redmi 9 series so far:
[Update 2: Out of Preview] Google announces the local home SDK, full-screen app support for smart displays, and third-party availability for App Actions
At Google I/O 2019, the company announced a new local home SDK, full-screen app support for smart displays, and more app access to App Actions.
Google I/O is wrapping up, but there are still some announcements to cover that flew under the radar a bit. After all, there's so many talks and events during the conference that it's hard to keep up with it all. One such area that was overlooked is Actions on Google. At Google I/O 2019, the company announced a new local home SDK, full-screen app support for smart displays, and 3rd-party access to App Actions.
[Update 3: Supreme Court declines relief] India stares at a carrier monopoly with Reliance Jio as Airtel and Vodafone Idea face uncertain future
The Indian telecom sector is staring at a future with a Reliance Jio monopoly, as Airtel and Vodafone Idea have been handed a massive debt by the Court.
India has the world's lowest call and data tariffs in the world right now, riding on the back of mega telecom operators and hyper-competition among them. But that hasn't always been the case in the country, as a lot of it can be traced back to a few key defining moments in the telecom sector's history. There is a good chance that the country is headed towards one more such moment, one that might turn a hyper-competitive market into a carrier monopoly with Reliance Jio at the helm.
Source: Here are the Moto G Stylus specifications and stylus features
We have obtained the full specifications of the upcoming Motorola Moto G Stylus as well as everything its stylus can be used for.
Motorola just celebrated selling 100 million total Moto G smartphones since the first Moto G was announced back in 2013. The Moto G line has expanded significantly since its initial debut and with the 7th generation, the company released 4 different smartphones in the series: the regular, Play, Power, and Plus. In late 2019, Motorola introduced its first two 8th generation Moto G devices, the Moto G8 Play and Moto G8 Plus. It's become clear that Motorola is preparing to launch the regular Moto G8 and the Moto G8 Power, but we've also recently learned that Motorola will introduce an entirely new phone to the G line: the Moto G Stylus. We have obtained what are very likely the device's specifications as well as the possible uses for its signature feature, the stylus pen.
Huawei overtook Apple to become the 2nd largest smartphone brand in 2019
Huawei has managed to hit yet another milestone by surpassing Apple in global smartphone sales throughout 2019, despite Entity List-related hardships.
Huawei is a company that has had a rocky history. Years ago, they were a relatively unknown player in the smartphone marketplace, with their popularity being mostly limited to their Chinese home market, but recently their popularity has risen to previously unthinkable levels. Each flagship the company put out was considerably better than the previous one, and their budget devices only serve to further improve on the company's success. Yet, it's no secret to anyone that the company was hit by harsh US sanctions earlier last year, which bar most US companies from engaging in business on Huawei.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip spec and render leak reveals Samsung's clamshell foldable phone
After trickles of leaked live images and rumors about the specs, we're now getting our first look at the Galaxy Z Flip in product renders.
The Galaxy S20 series has been the subject of numerous leaks and rumors, but Samsung has an arguably more exciting device on the horizon as well. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is set to be the company's second device with a foldable display. This time, however, the form factor mimics an old school flip phone, like Motorola's rebooted Razr. Today, we're getting our first look at leaked renders.
Everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra have extensively leaked. Here's a summary of everything we know about Samsung's next flagships.
Samsung’s Galaxy S line of Android smartphones is inarguably the company’s most popular smartphone lineup. This year, Samsung will be launching the 11th Galaxy smartphone but will be taking a break with its naming convention -- so instead of Galaxy S11, we will be getting the Galaxy S20. With Samsung Unpacked 2020 coming up next month, let’s go through all the leaks and rumors we’ve seen so far about the Galaxy S20 smartphones. Below is everything we know about all five Samsung Galaxy S20 models that will be launched this year, including the Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20+ 5G, and Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
Motorola prepares to launch the Moto G8 and Moto G8 Power with the Snapdragon 665 and Android 10
Motorola will soon launch the Moto G8 and the Moto G8 Power in multiple markets. Here's everything we know about their specifications.
The Motorola brand we all know and love has faced a tough time in the market in recent years thanks to the rapid rise of Chinese value brands. However, the Lenovo-owned company has managed to revitalize its mobile business thanks in large part to strong offerings in the G and E lines. Moto's G line is highly successful in the budget-to-mid-range segment with the regular and Play models catering to the budget segment and the Plus and Power models catering to the mid-range segment. Last October, Motorola announced the Moto G8 Plus and the Moto G8 Play—yet 3 months later, we're still missing the regular Moto G8 and its big battery sibling, the Moto G8 Power. That could change soon, however, as we have gathered a lot of information on these two devices, including their full specifications. Here's everything we know so far.
Black Desert Mobile First Impressions: Great visuals and engaging gameplay
Black Desert Mobile is a multiplayer MMO game that recently made its way to mobile. We tried out the game, and here are our thoughts and impressions!
After a soft-launch in South Korea and a few other regions, Black Desert Mobile is now finally available to download globally. Black Desert Mobile is an MMORPG (massively-multiplayer online role-playing game) built by the Korean developer, Pearl Abyss. The PC counterpart continues to attract over 100,000 concurrent users since its launch in 2015. Black Desert Mobile is completely based on the PC version and there’s also a fresh Xbox and PlayStation 4 version as well. However, cross-platform play is not available yet.
OnePlus addresses feedback and announces its plans for videography
OnePlus has responded to questions and challenges made by videographers at December's Open Ears event. It has also detailed its commitments in this field.
OnePlus has a tradition of holding "Open Ear Forums" where company representatives meet with members of the community for the purposes of taking feedback. Such events have been held in multiple countries, including India. It's one factor that differentiates OnePlus from vendors such as Samsung, as OnePlus' community-focused approach still shines through, at least in some areas. In December, OnePlus held an Open Ear Forum in New York specifically for videographers, wanting to get feedback from professionals who use their smartphone cameras for work as well as from novices. The company has now shared its findings and replies to all the questions raised during the Forum, and has also detailed its future commitments in videography.
First Look at Nearby Sharing - Google's AirDrop Clone for Android
Nearby Sharing is Google's upcoming local file sharing service that's baked into Google Play Services. It's like Apple's AirDrop, but it works on Android.
Apple's AirDrop feature has become synonymous with ecosystem synergy, as it makes the task of transferring files across Apple devices a trivial affair, eliminating the need to rely on any third-party solutions. In this area, even the best Android phones have lagged behind, because the open-source OS has had to rely on third-party solutions to accomplish the task of local file transfer. We did have Android Beam for several years, but the feature was underutilized and undermarketed, and eventually, deprecated. It is only now that some of the major players are waking up to build competing solutions -- Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo have teamed up for a cross-device file transfer solution; Samsung is also working on its own solution in the form of Quick Share; and Google was also working on its own solution in the form of Fast Share, which recently got renamed to Nearby Sharing ahead of its impending release. XDA Recognized Developer Quinny899 notified us that he managed to activate Nearby Sharing on his device, allowing us to activate it ourselves and catch a glimpse of the feature in action before it gets officially unveiled by Google.
Exclusive: Quick Share is Samsung's alternative to AirDrop for Galaxy phones
Samsung is developing Quick Share, an AirDrop-like file sharing service for Galaxy smartphones, set to debut on the Galaxy S20 series. Read on for more!
Competition is huge in the phone industry, as we all know. Previously, the competition used to be restricted to hardware and who could have the best android phone hardware, but we've progressed from that era. The area of real competition now is with software, and the software experience can now make or break purchase decisions, as companies like Apple and Google very well know. Some would argue the exclusive features Apple has is why they are one of the biggest phone brands. Well, Samsung is trying to match Apple's features with some of its own implementations. The newest one of these features is Quick Share, Samsung's upcoming alternative to Apple's AirDrop.
[Update: New renders and colors] Galaxy Buds+ renders confirm no design changes for Samsung's new wireless earbuds
The latest version of the Samsung SmartThings app for Android has revealed the existence and design of the Galaxy Buds+, Samsung's new wireless earbuds.
Samsung is hard at work preparing the next 3 smartphones in the Galaxy S line up: the Galaxy S11, S11e, and S11+. We know this because multiple leaks have revealed the designs, displays, and camera specifications. Alongside the new smartphones, though, Samsung is seemingly preparing to refresh the Galaxy Buds, the company's truly wireless earbuds. The new earbuds are expected to be called the Galaxy Buds+, and they'll provide a major upgrade over the current Galaxy Buds with the addition of active noise cancellation. Famed leaker Evan Blass and Samsung news site SamMobile have previously revealed the existence of the new wireless earbuds, with the latter even linking to an alleged support page for the new product. Now, we've uncovered the strongest evidence yet for the existence of the new Galaxy Buds+, thanks to the Samsung SmartThings app.
Qualcomm announces the Snapdragon 720G, 662, and 460 SoCs with support for India's NavIC
Qualcomm introduces three new chipsets – Snapdragon 720G, 662, and 460 – for superior mid-range gaming performance, entertainment, and AI features.
In December 2019 at the Snapdragon Tech Summit in Hawaii, Qualcomm announced new mobile platforms – the Snapdragon 865 as well as the Snapdragon 765 and 765G – catering to the top and upper-mid tiers of the smartphones. Those chipsets were, respectively, upgrades to Qualcomm's flagship SoCs – the Snapdragon 855/855 Plus – and the performance-oriented Snapdragon 730/730G. However, a bigger share of Qualcomm's Snapdragon user base comes via the mid-range chipsets in the Snapdragon 600 series as well as the entry-level 400 series, especially in price-conscious markets like India, China, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Catering to these expectations, Qualcomm has just unveiled three new chipsets – the Snapdragon 720G, Snapdragon 662, and the Snapdragon 460 – at an event in New Delhi, India as upgrades to their existing lineup for the mid-tier and entry-level chipsets.
[Update: Opera's Statement] Opera's loan apps accused of engaging in predatory behavior and violating Google Play Store's policies
Loan apps from Opera are being accused of engaging in predatory behavior and violating the Google Play Store's listing policies for loan apps. Read on!
The browser market sees heavy dominance from Google Chrome across the board, much to the detriment of other browsers and the underlying competition in the market. This dominance and the declining user base has forced several browser entities to explore alternative models of revenue. Opera, which has a browser market share of 2.28% as of December 2019 (down from its 3.13% share in December 2018), decided to venture into short-term personal lending through app-based solutions for Kenya, Nigeria, and India. A new report now alleges that some of these loan apps from Opera are engaging in predatory behavior, as well as being in violation of Google Play Store's policies on Personal Loan apps.
Download: Realme 3 Pro receives Android 10 update with Realme UI
Realme has now started rolling out a ColorOS 6 update based on Android 10 for the Realme 3 Pro featuring the new Realme UI.
Back in August last year, Realme's CEO Madhav Sheth confirmed that the company was working on RealmeOS — an all-new Android skin for its devices. However, the company shelved its plans for a completely new OS later that year in November. Instead, the company planned on offering a customized version of ColorOS 7 with a near-stock Android interface. Earlier this month, the company first unveiled Realme UI alongside the launch of the Realme X50 5G at an event in China. And now, it's finally rolling out the new Realme UI based on Android 10 to the Realme 3 Pro.
Google may be working on 2 mid-range Pixel phones for 2020: One with the 5G Snapdragon 765 and another with the 4G Snapdragon 730
We found code-names for what could be Google's mid-range 2020 Pixel phones. One will have the 5G-enabled Snapdragon 765 and the other the 4G Snapdragon 730.
Every October, we expect Google to release a new Pixel smartphone to compete for the best Android phones around. In 2016, the company unveiled its first-generation Pixel and Pixel XL. In 2017, we saw the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. There were no surprises in 2018 when Google announced the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Last year, however, Google threw a curveball by announcing the first mid-range Pixel phones in the Pixel 3a and 3a XL at Google I/O 2019. Though the company did later reveal the Pixel 4 and 4 XL in October of last year, the introduction of the 3a series has us anticipating a follow-up for this year. Indeed, @Onleaks, a famous leaker of smartphones, shared CAD renders of what's likely going to be the mid-2020 Pixel 4a.