Tech News

Huawei teased the new EMUI 9.0 last month, and we expected the user interface, based on Android Pie, to arrive with the Huawei Mate 20 in two weeks. Looks like the company can't wait anymore and is already pushing the update to some Huawei Mate 10 Pro units with a stable version of Oreo and model numbers BLA-L09 and BLA-L29 which are sold mostly in Europe. According to our source, EMUI 9.0 brings new gesture setup for multi-task switching between...

Samsung launched the Galaxy A6 about five months ago. The company said back then that it would release this handset in select markets across Asia, Europe and Latin America. A North America release was not mentioned at that point in time. Subsequent reports suggested that a US launch was possible for this handset. The reports had also mentioned that AT&T could be the carrier partner for this device...

Some Galaxy P30 pictures have surfaced online and they don’t show the rumored in-display fingerprint sensor. Samsung is expected to release a separate handset this year with a display-based fingerprint sensor. Recent reports have suggested that this device will get an optical fingerprint sensor. That’s because Samsung is saving the more advanced ultrasonic sensor for the Galaxy S10 that’s due next year. The Galaxy P30 was thus expected to be that...

Ro: Smartphones are getting out of hand. Literally. It almost feels like makers these days are shoving the new trends down our throats these days. First, it was the headphone jack. Apple started it and users rioted. That didn't stop the rest of the OEMs from following suit without giving any real excuse. Then it was the notch. Once again Apple started it, people hated it, but Android manufacturers were fast to jump on the bandwagon. The same goes...

A couple of phones debuted this week, but you don't have to look further than our top 10 trending chart to know which one was more interesting - the Realme 2 Pro debut is easily the event of week 39. Meanwhile Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi Note 6 Pro, which is hardly a great improvement over its predecessor. It does bring the notch trend to the Xiaomi Note lineup, so it has that going for it, we guess. Meanwhile as an announcement-filled October is...

These are turbulent times in our top 10 trending chart as we see our fourth leader in as many weeks - the newly announced Realme 2 immediately shooting to the top. Funnily enough the leaders of the past three weeks complete the top four. The Galaxy A7 (2018) steps down to second, ahead of the Xiaomi Pocophone F1. The iPhone XS Max, in fourth, is the only remaining Apple smartphone in the top 10 after the company got a clean sweep of the podium just...

Huawei is currently the largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, but it is a very young company - it was only founded in 1987. And it didn't start making phones until 2003, but it already has ambitions to be the largest smartphone maker in the world, just like in conquered the networking hardware field. The first phone to come out of Huawei's handset division was the C300 in 2004. It was a simple feature phone for CDMA networks. Then...

Realme is going in for the kill - the 2 Pro targets Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus and even Oppo's own phones with what could be described as great specs at an insanely low price. It starts at INR 14,000 ($192/€165) for the 4/64GB model. That buys you a capable Snapdragon 660, 6.3" 1080p+ screen with teardrop notch, a 16+2MP dual rear camera and 16MP selfie cam. The 3,500mAh battery sounds good too. Let's compare that to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro. The...

Introduction Headsets and audio equipment reviews are hardly a daily occurrence here at GSMArena, but most of us have deep personal interest in the area. That's why the TONE Platinum SE caused quite a lot of excitement here at HQ and I was nominated to share some of that with it. Heads-up this is going to be more of a personal experience review than a benchmark-filled test. First things first, then. We have used and even reviewed LG Tone headsets...

It seems that Samsung has brought in a winning mid-fielder - the Galaxy A7 (2018) got a 74% approval rating. This is a phone built around its Infinity Display and triple camera and the early response to them is a positive one. As expected, some people wished for more features - a tele camera and a faster chipset were the most commonly requested. We suspect those will be present on the Galaxy S10 instead, so there won't be any in fighting in Samsung's...

In less than three weeks, on October 9, Google will unveil the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL to the world. I've marked that day on my calendar and I can't wait. Here's why I think the Pixel 3 XL, in particular, will be a big deal (and likely my next phone). Before we start, a few introductory words. I'm an avid Google Pixel fan and former Pixel 2 XL owner. I like the camera, the software experience, the feel and the stereo speakers (in that order) of the...

We all know Reddit is a source of pretty strange stuff. This one we came across isn't exactly strange, but it's a rare one indeed. A customer walked into Best Buy with the intention of buying a second-gen Chromecast but walked out with a still unreleased third generation. The OP (original poster) as redditors like to call it, clarifies that Best Buy must have put out the new device by mistake. When the cashier tried to scan the item, the Chromecast...

With iPhone XS and XS Max units making their way to more and more people, an unpleasant charging issue has come to light(ning?). Numerous users have reported on the Apple discussion boards that their phones wouldn't automatically start charging when the Lightning cable is connected - in some cases a tap on the screen was needed to wake up the phone and start charging, others required an unplug-and-plug-back-in type of procedure. Y U no charge? We...

Remember the three Oppo devices that got certified two weeks ago? Well, according to the latest report, they could be part of a whole new lineup and have nothing to do with the Oppo R17 as previously thought. A teaser poster has popped up on Oppo's official website inviting us to join the unveiling of a new lineup of smartphones on October 10. Looking at the poster, we can't stop thinking of an in-display fingerprint and a full-screen notch-less...

The supposedly China-only smartphone from Samsung just got certified by TENAA and we finally get to see what it looks like. However, the listing is still incomplete so we will have to wait a little bit longer for the full specs to be revealed and for now, we only have some tiny bits and the photos to work with. The listing shows a 5.99-inch device with an LCD panel and a 3,300mAh battery powering it all. The photos also reveal the rear-mounted fingerprint...

There's a huge segmentation in the Android OS versions distribution and updates never come soon enough - there's little to dabate here. Every now and then, however, a new distribution chart comes out so we can muse on the trends and numbers. The latest edition puts Oreo at just under 1/5 of the market (19.2% total between v8.0 and 8.1), a 4.6 percentage points increase from the last time we checked. Nougat's piece of the pie is still the largest,...

Finally some solid info on how the upcoming Nokia 7.1 Plus would look like as well as some juicy details about the specs. This one comes from TENAA and confirms the back design we saw a few days ago. It's hard to tell whether the handset has a notch or not from the TENAA photos so yesterday's mystery remains largely unsolved. Then again, according to the specs sheet, the Nokia X7 (7.1 Plus) comes with a 6.1-inch panel featuring 1080 x 2246 pixels...

Apple has released a new video ad today, and this one's all about the iPhone XS Max. The biggest iPhone ever made is already outselling its smaller sibling, so it looks like people do prefer larger handsets. And Apple isn't at all apologetic about how big the iPhone XS Max is. In fact, this ad is all about the company unashamedly pushing the phone's size, doubling down on this trait that may not be to everyone's liking. Then again, people who do...

Google doesn't have physical locations to perform service on its devices like Apple has Apple Stores all over the US. Google's warranty service website has recently been updated with referenced to an in-house Repair Center where Google will officially be performing repairs. After all, Google should be taking care of its own MadeByGoogle hardware. Mail-in repairs could take anywhere from 7-10 business days after shipping your device to the Repair...

Apple has issued a new update to watchOS shortly after the major 5.0 release last week. Version 5.0.1 is a bug fix release and fixes some of the minor issues in 5.0. Of the three mentioned fixes, two relate to fitness tracking. The third issue has to do with charging. These problems may not be affecting everyone (we didn't notice anything) but if you did then you'd be glad to know they are fixed. At 37.3MB, it's a quick download although as usual,...

Today Facebook has announced that earlier this week it discovered a security issue that affected almost 50 million accounts. This was tied to a vulnerability in the code that impacted "View As", a feature that lets people see what their own profile looks like to someone else. Attackers exploited that vulnerability, and that allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could use to take over people's accounts - 50 million of them. Access...

It's been a month since Google announced the newest redesign of Wear OS (previously known as Android Wear). And today Wear OS 2.1 is finally starting to roll out to a smartwatch near you. It's currently being pushed to all compatible wearables. If you're wondering what those are, the list is huge - any device that was released after the announcement of Android Wear 2.0, and even those that got updated to Android Wear 2.0. It's easier to list the...

A renown tipster on Twitter just offered a plausible explanation about the confusion surrounding the upcoming Nokia 7.1 Plus smartphone. A tweet from Roland Quandt popped up that can be interpreted in two ways - that the phone is going to be launched as the Nokia 7.1 without the Plus version or that there are actually going to be two smartphones coming to the 7-series. Nokia 7.1 (4/64GB) Blue or Steel, 399 Euro. No Plus in that name.— Roland Quandt...

Without any fuss, Huawei added a mid-range tablet on its website - the MediaPad M5 lite. It boasts an aluminum unibody and a quartet of speakers. The MediaPad M5 lite is built around a 10.1-inch 16:10 display with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution and it's driven by a rather outdated Kirin 659 SoC. The memory variants are two - 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB. The iconic feature, however, appears to be the quad Harman/Kardon-tuned loudspeakers that work with...

Microsoft added a Mixed Reality platform to the Windows 10 as part of the Fall Creators Update released in October last year. Responding to Microsoft’s mainstream push into AR and VR, many PC OEMs launched Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) headsets towards the end of last year. Samsung also joined the party with its Odyssey headset and motion controllers. Though not a major PC maker, Samsung’s WMR headset was the best of the available lot last year and...

The OnePlus twitter account has been focused on the 6 until now, but the first teaser tweet for the OnePlus 6T just came out. It features the hexagonal "T" logo of the upgraded model and almost certainly hints at the in-display fingerprint reader (which was already officially confirmed). You can see "Unlock The Future" flash quickly, almost as a subliminal message. This isn't the first teaser, an ad even showed a glimpse of the phone. OnePlus 6T....

Samsung just announced a new version of its recently released Galaxy Watch called Galaxy Watch Golf Edition. As you've probably guessed by its name, it's directly aimed at golf fans. Galaxy Watch Golf Edition The Galaxy Watch Golf Edition is a follow-up to last year's Gear S3 Golf Edition and is only available in South Korea initially. The watch itself is essentially the same as the vanilla Galaxy Watch plus the smart Caddie app that makes navigating...

"A higher Intelligence is coming." No, this isn't a sci-fi movie, it's the tagline of the latest Huawei Mate 20 Pro teaser. It extols the performance of the Kirin 980 chipset (like this teaser) and LTE speed (world's first to support Cat. 21). The second new teaser is... bizarre. Even more bizarre than the piano and typewriter one. We'd say it's something about Qmoji, but the text at the end reads "master the past and control the future". As the...

Last month HMD Global executives promised Nokia 7 plus would be the first smartphone in the company portfolio to receive Android Pie by the end of September. After a false start on Wednesday, today the update has finally begun its rollout. Android Pie arrives "fresh out of the oven" with "a plate of new features", including Do Not Disturb Mode and Digital Wellbeing Dashboard. The Nokia 7 plus will also have Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness...

Since its launch, the Galaxy Note9 already received two updates - the most recent one addressed the Bixby button and the first one delivered extra control over the Super Slow-mo video mode. Now a third one is being seeded and it's the most significant one yet as it promises to improve the camera experience substantially. Users in Germany have spotted the OTA update that has build number N960FXXU2ARI9 and weighs in at 302MB. The changelog is all...

Apple claims that the iPhone XS and XS Max have the "most durable glass ever in a smartphone". The filling in the metal and glass sandwich is "surgical-grade stainless steel". Those are some lofty claims, but can the real life hardware back them up? While there are no definitive answers, dropping the XS seven times onto asphalt should give a good indication. Especially when the last several drops are from head height. We won't spoil the results,...

We just concluded this week’s YouTube live stream. These live streams give us a great opportunity to interact with you, our loyal readers, live and discuss all of the latest Samsung-related news. We had a full agenda in this live stream as well. The new Galaxy A7 was the star of the show. It’s Samsung’s first smartphone with three rear cameras and we had it with us in the live stream. We also talked...

The LG V40 ThinQ event on October 3 may also bring a new Android Wear smartwatch - tentatively called the LG Watch W7. That's the same watch we heard about way back in April. Things move slowly in the world of Android Wear. That watch promised a 1.2" 360x360px screen, similar to the LG Watch Style (though perhaps an LCD instead of P-OLED). And it will use the same old Snapdragon Wear 2100, at least that's what the old rumor said. Qualcomm has since...

Apple is Samsung’s main competitor in the premium smartphone segment. The Cupertino company, however, enjoys a much loyal fanbase when compared to Samsung, or for that matter any other brand on the planet. This makes Samsung go to great extent to convince Apple fans users to switch to its products through various marketing campaigns. The Korean company has often mocked devoted Apple fans with its...

SwiftKey has become a powerful Android keyboard alternative, offering a plethora of cool features. And it might be getting even better as the developers announced a real-time built-in translator is coming with one of the following updates. The keyboard will rely on Microsoft's Translator - hardly a surprise since the latter acquired SwiftKey at the beginning of this year. The good news is that you can still use the feature online as long as you...

Samsung is rolling out a new firmware update which brings improvements for the Galaxy Note 9 camera. The handset has one of the best cameras you can find on a flagship smartphone today but there’s always room for improvement on the software front. Those who found the camera software a bit lacking in terms of further enhancing the imaging experience will be happy with this update. The company has started rolling out this update in Germany. It’s obviously...

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is poised to be a part of the next wave of slider smartphones, right along with the Honor Magic 2 and the Lenovo Z5 Pro. Now a new leak adds a previously unknown detail about it - an AI-dedicated button on the side. The service will be called Xiao AI and will also arrive on the Xiaomi LEX, whatever that is. Having a dedicated key for the AI assistant is not a first - LG has one for the Google Assistant and Samsung does it for Bixby,...

Samsung today announced the launch of the Galaxy Watch Golf Edition. This variant of its new smartwatch comes with the Smart Caddie app. If you have ever played golf you know just how important a caddy is on the course. They know the geographical features well and are a good resource on courses that you’re not familiar with. There are plenty of watches available on the market that are geared towards golfers. Samsung is joining the list with the Galaxy...

The Razer Phone 2 just appeared in another press image further confirming that the design will remain largely unchanged. We saw a frontal shot of the handset a few weeks back showing off identical appearance to the original Razer Phone. Enough politics for today. pic.twitter.com/5nUc3xdden— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 28, 2018 Of course, we weren't sure if the render was legit at first but this new image confirms its accuracy. The first thing...

When Apple announced the budget variant of its new smartphone series, the iPhone XR, the device appeared on the company website with a disclaimer at the end of the page, saying the device might not be available for sale, per FCC rules. Not anymore. The phone with model number BCG-E3220A was approved by FCC just in time for the pre-orders that will begin in three weeks with actual shipments to start on October 26. Being approved by FCC was never...

As a smartphone enthusiast, there aren't too many reasons to unlock a bootloader anymore. In the past, people used to unlock the phone's firmware so they could flash software that had more to offer than factory ROMs. In many cases they were quicker, leaner, and offered more functionality and customization than bloatware-laden carrier firmware of the time. Those days are long gone as all Android phones nowadays are well-optimized, have plenty of...

Red opened pre-orders for a smartphone built by the high-end camera manufacturer over a year ago and those who plopped down $1,600 for the highest-tier Titanium version have been patiently waiting for the phone to be shipped. Red was supposed to begin shipping Titanium devices to backers on October 9 but an update from the Red's founder, James Jannard, has posted an update on Red's forums titled "The post I don't want to make". Jannard starts by...

Back in May, Facebook announced that it was going to simplify the interface on its Messenger app to fewer tabs so you can simply stay connected. This redesign included a new streamlined interface, a proper dark mode, and remove some of the shortcuts and features that people don't use. Earlier today, Android Police reported of a reader who sent in screenshots of the update installed on their mobile. According to this reader, the update came as a...

The Google Pixel 3 XL has already leaked in many ways over the past month or so in various renders and hands-on photos ever since someone got their hands on a few and began selling them illegitimately. One of those devices is on the loose and made it all the way to Russia where YouTuber Rozetked uploaded a full high-res hands-on video explaining a couple of the differences and improvements that the 3 XL has over the Pixel 2 XL. Of course, we've...

If you're familiar with Caviar then you know it was only a matter of time before it applied its Midas touch to the Apple iPhone XS Max and transformed it into a ostentatious luxury device. With its new Maximum line the Russian company has decked out the new 512GB iPhone XS Max in carbon, titanium, diamonds, pure gold and a special edition with a 150g gold panel. There's the Maximum Invincible, which mates the XS Max to a 1mm plate of hardened titanium....

If you are looking to launch a flagship towards the end of the year, the Android community would expect the latest OS to be running the show. However, it appears that LG didn't get the memo so the V40 ThinQ will run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box instead of 9.0 Pie. The Geekbench score sheet confirms the rumored Snapdragon 845 chipset and the 6GB of RAM but surprises with an older version of Android. Of course, there's a chance that the benchmarked...

Undoubtedly, the coolest feature of the new Apple Watch Series 4 is its ECG monitor. However, the function will be available only for US customers later this year and maybe Canada in the future. But what about the rest of the world? It's pretty disappointing to own such high-end and expensive piece of tech and being unable to use it to the fullest, so Apple fans around the world would be eager to know when the feature would be approved by their...

It's almost like the upcoming Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are competing with each other now, for the dubious title of 'most leaked smartphone in recent years'. The 3 XL had a huge lead in that department a few weeks ago, but its smaller sibling is slowly starting to pick up the pace - and maybe it still has a chance of catching up. Today a trove of marketing materials regarding the Pixel 3 has been outed. Alongside the assortment of images above...