Tech News

Nvidia is in the process of acquiring ARM, which made us think of the time when the company, which is best known for its GPUs, was actually a major player in the smartphone market. Here are Tegra chipsets' greatest hits. Two of the first Tegra-powered phones were the Microsoft Kin One and Two, which we've covered in a previous Flashback. Unfortunately, that chipset proved quite under-powered for the kind of UI that Microsoft wanted to run. But that...

The latest arrival to our office is the Huawei P Smart 2021 smartphone, also sold at some markets as Huawei Y7a. It is an entry-level smartphone that lacks Google services, but brings other promising features like a 48MP camera, a massive battery with fast charging support, and a 6.67” screen with Full HD+ resolution. The retail box of the phone consists of a Huawei SuperCharger that lets you top the phone at up to 22.5W. The technology was initially...

Last week’s poll shows that Huawei’s new phones can stand on their own feet, even without the Google software ecosystem. However, there are several factors that will impact how the new models will perform in the market place. We gave the Huawei Mate 40 Pro its own poll as this one will first get a global release – units will be available in Europe next month. About 20% of voters are ready to grab one as soon as local stores open sales. Slightly...

OnePlus isn't what it used to be - as the market changes the company evolves to try and adapt better. Its phones slowly turned from flagship killers to actual premium flagship phones. Sure, they are still undercutting many of the competition based on MSRP, but store prices are usually close enough so as not to make a difference. And while OnePlus matches the competition in the display and design and its software is a favorite to many it often fails...

When Motorola announced the rhythmically-named Moto G 5G Plus back in July, it was pretty apparent that a vanilla Moto G 5G should eventually follow. Now we seem to have the scoop on a Moto device, codenamed “Kiev”, allegedly coming to market as the Moto G 5G. The original source on this is somewhat sketchy. But seems to mostly check out. Motorola Moto G 5G leaked shot Apparently the Moto G 5G will be based on the new Snapdragon 750G chipset – a...

One UI 3.0 builds are well into public beta at this point. Galaxy S20 family devices in both the US and Germany, signed-up for the program are already running test Android 11, One UI 3.0 ROMs and in a more-recent development, so are US Note20 units. A new page has now gone up on the company’s official Malaysian website, highlighting some of the major new additions and changes in One UI 3.0. Probably the biggest news on there, however, is in the...

It’s that time of the year when we keep our eyes peeled for information about the new components that will be used for the next iteration of Samsung devices. As we await the high-end Exynos chipset that will be used for the Galaxy S21, there’s also excitement for a new mid-range processor. Samsung offers some great mid-range smartphones as part of its Galaxy A series. The upcoming lineup will require a new chipset and perhaps it might be called the...

Fancy yourself as a Samsung superfan? Take our quiz and see how many answers you can get right! This is a fun activity that we do with our readers every week to test their knowledge of the Korean giant. The quiz has a mix of easy and difficult questions that most fans should be able to answer without turning to Google. We make a new quiz for you every weekend so we hope that you’ll participate and...

Micromax is making a return to the India smartphone market, with a launch already set for November 3. We are still a bit short on hardware specifics and even the exact models of the upcoming In phones are not officially confirmed. However, most rumors seem to point at a pair of devices, allegedly called the Micromax In 1 and In 1A. One with a Mediatek Helio G35 chipset and the other with a G85 one. Beyond all of the official teasers, at least one...

Google’s latest and greatest Pixel 5 has started to slowly make its way onto the market, with first impressions and reviews from media and the community already revealing some issues with the device. Pixel-related hardware issues have pretty-much turned into an industry meme at this point, with basically every generation getting heat in one way or another. Call it a self-fulfilling prophecy if you want, but the Pixel 5 didn’t manage to break the...

Our review of the iPhone 12 is already up, but we've also been spending some quality time with the more premium iPhone 12 Pro. But while the review team is still doing its thing here go a few early thoughts. The iPhone 12 Pro certainly makes a better first impression than the iPhone 12. For starters the frame isn't aluminum but stainless steel. It feels better too and it's shinier. The rear glass is nicer to touch too, thanks to its matte finish...

The OnePlus 8T is getting its second software update since launch. The company is now rolling out OxygenOS 11.0.2.3 for all three regions (US, EU, and India). If you haven't received the update yet, it should be available in the next week or so. The 11.0.2.3 update is largely for fixing some of the issues reported in the previous version. It optimizes the system power consumption and reduces heat generation. There also seemed to have been an issue...

Today, T-Mobile is announcing the arrival of the LG Wing 5G directly from the carrier. The phone will be available in both Aurora Gray and Illusion Sky – the latter is not available from Verizon. The Wing 5G is coming with support for T-Mobile's low-band (600MHz) and mid-band (2.5GHz) 5G networks. To boost sales of the LG Wing, T-Mobile is offering a BOGO (buy one, get one free) promotion for anyone who purchases two LG Wing 5G smartphones from...

Back when Apple added a fingerprint reader to the iPhone 5s, it made it impossible to replace by anyone other than an authorized technician. That makes some sense – a bogus reader may circumvent security. But over the years more and more components have become difficult to replace. During its teardown and testing of the iPhone 12, iFixit found that taking the camera out and replacing it with an identical module from another phone causes issues....

Amazfit unveiled the second generation GTR and GTS smart watches and among their upgrades was REM detection. REM sleep is essential for a good night’s rest, this update will improve the sleep analysis performed by the watch. After installing the new firmware, you can activate REM detection in the Zepp app (which used to be called Amazfit). A previous update enabled the original Amazfit GTR and GTS to detect daytime naps too. This update also improves...

The siege on Huawei may be easing off a bit – at least as far as its mobile division is concerned. The Financial Times reports that companies will be able to supply Huawei with components for non-5G uses. More specifically components that won’t be used in the company’s 5G networking equipment. “It has been indicated to us that chips for mobile devices are not a problem,” says an executive from an Asian semiconductor company. Samsung Display already...

Samsung is revamping the Galaxy Store and bringing a couple of changes to the app’s UI. In the official announcement, which seemingly doubles as an ad for Fortnite and Xbox Game Pass, Samsung describes the streamlined Galaxy Store experience as the place for casual and hardcore gamers alike. The storefront now caters to both audiences with curated selections, and it has a cleaner home screen. The updated Galaxy Store reorganizes the home screen...

The Ministry of Electronics & IT in India banned 118 mobile apps back in September, and the list included the popular game PUBG Mobile. After multiple attempts to get back on track and to bring the battle royale title to its fans, PUBG Corporation has finally given up and announced it is terminating all service and access to users. Starting today, October 30, PUBG Mobile Nordic Map: Livik and PUBG Mobile Lite will stop working. The rights of...

The latest addition to Honor’s X10 lineup is here with the 10X Lite. It’s a more affordable alternative to the X10 5G and X10 Max 5G and brings midrange specs and a 5,000 mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging. The 10X Lite brings a 6.67-inch IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution and a punch-hole cutout for its 8MP selfie cam. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint scanner while the bottom houses the headphone jack and Type-C connector. Around the back, we have...

More Galaxy smartphones are getting the November 2020 security update after the patch debuted on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 yesterday. The latest security update is also included in the third One UI 3.0 beta for the Galaxy S20 series, and now Samsung is bringing the November 2020 security patch to two of its less popular smartphone models, namely the Galaxy Xcover Pro and the Galaxy A2 Core. The latest firmware update for the Galaxy Xcover Pro is identified...

Samsung today attached a release date to its latest foldable smartphone called the Galaxy W21 5G, a familiar-looking flagship headed to China. The release date, scheduled for next Wednesday, November 4th, will center around what is simply a rebranded version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Which wouldn’t be that curious, if not for the fact this same device already launched in the Far Eastern country a couple...

One UI 3.0 is getting closer to a widespread public release by the day. Samsung has just released the third One UI 3.0 beta update for the Galaxy S20 series and the firmware is now being rolled out in Germany. The third One UI 3.0 beta update carries a generic changelog that mentions the usual camera and stability improvements, but it also introduces the November 2020 security patch. As usual, the latest security patch is being rolled out without...

Up until now, Samsung phone owners have the option to use the company’s Find My Mobile as well as Google’s Find My Device to locate misplaced or stolen phones. Today, Samsung is introducing a new service called SmartThings Find. It works on all Galaxy phones and tablets running Android 8 or later and can also be used to track wearables like Galaxy Watch devices (running Tizen 5.5 and above) as well as Galaxy Buds Live and Buds Plus. It’s part of...

Over the past year there have been numerous rumors hinting at the possibility that Samsung will eventually add an S Pen to its foldable flagship lineup, but not a lot of hard evidence has emerged to support these theories so far. Enter a Samsung Electronics WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) application that confirms the company’s true intentions. The WIPO application was filed in April 2020 and published earlier this week. It confirms that...

LG’s focus at the start of next year will be on two projects – Rainbow and B Project. The former is expected to be a classic flagship, a continuation of the V-series. The latter is will have a rollable screen. It’s part of LG’s Explorer Project, which gave us the unorthodox LG Wing. B Project will have a similarly “out there” design – part of the screen will be rolled up for compactness but will be rolled out during use for a larger screen size....

Samsung has been touting the Galaxy Fold and its successor the Galaxy Z Fold2 as the ultimate multitasking mobile device - it is simultaneously a smartphone and a tablet. According to patents filed at WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation), the eventual Galaxy Z Fold3 might become even more versatile by also adding an S Pen to its arsenal. The drawings show the stylus will be sitting in the bottom right side of the phone like in a Galaxy...

Samsung’s Call and Message Continuity feature has been around for a while now. It’s a very useful feature that lets you receive and make calls as well as send and receive text messages even on Wi-Fi-only variants of Galaxy tablets and the Galaxy Watch Active 2. There is one major restriction with this feature, though. It only works with the native Samsung Messages app. If you’re using any other app...

Earlier today we reported that Samsung has grabbed back the top spot in the smartphone world from Huawei according to data by Canalys. Now, two more analysts companies confirm the data, along with the fact that Xiaomi is now in Top 3, surpassing Apple after an impressive performance in Q3 2020 while Huawei concedes the top spot it held last quarter. Analysts at IDC say the market witnessed very strong volumes between July and September in emerging...

348 million smartphones were shipped between July 1 and September 30 according to the latest report from Canalys. That is 4 million fewer units than the same time last year. On a quarterly basis, the overall market grew by 22% and Samsung was yet again the runaway leader with 80.2 million shipments thanks to whopping 50% jump in smartphone sales during Q3 with improved cost management and the launch of several midrangers. Coming in at second place...

Samsung has launched new wireless earbuds with its flagship Galaxy S series for the past two years. It actually launched two of them in 2020. The Galaxy Buds+ came out with the Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy Buds Live with the Galaxy Note 20. It’s safe to say that we can expect a new pair of wireless earbuds with the Galaxy S21 as well. A new trademark filing suggests that Samsung might go with a different name for the earbuds this time around. Buds Beyond...

Samsung has for years had a luxurious line-up for the Chinese smartphone market under the W line. It used to launch exclusive (and ultra-expensive) clamshell phones with Android until the Fold series came to life and now it's more of an exercise in rebranding. The company has confirmed that it's about to welcome a new member along those lines - the Samsung W21 5G. The new phone is scheduled to arrive on November 4 but initial reports and listings...

Cyberpunk 2077 might be delayed to December but the special edition of the OnePlus 8T is still on track for a November release. The company confirmed it's coming on November 2 with a modified camera island on the back. The phone is expected to have a custom theme, similar to other cross-branding partnerships in the past. The teaser image suggests the rectangle on the back is getting extra wide to incorporate “2077” for extra fancy looks but it's...

During the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra launch, Samsung showcased a new SmartThings feature that lets users quickly find Galaxy devices through an app. The company has now officially launched the SmartThings Find feature, and it comes as a part of the SmartThings app. It can also find devices when they’re offline. The SmartThings Find feature works on Galaxy devices running Android...

As reported by The Verge, Netflix is announcing new rates for US-based subscribers. Currently, the streaming service offers three-tiered plans. The entry-level Basic $9 plan only allows for a single stream at up to 480p resolution and remains unchanged. The next tier - Standard, which is Netflix’s most popular, is being increased from $13/month to $14 – this plan allows for up to two simultaneous streams at up to 1080p resolution. Finally, the Premium...

Samsung is doing pretty well in almost all its primary businesses. Yesterday, the company reported its highest-ever quarterly earnings and became India’s biggest smartphone brand. Now, a new report shows how Samsung did in the global tablet market during the work-from-home boom. According to a new report from IDC (International Data Corporation), Samsung became the second-best tablet brand globally during Q3 2020. The company managed to ship 9.4...

Best Buy got impatient and stopped waiting around for Black Friday. The retailer has ousted some outstanding deals on smartphones, but these, as far as we can tell, are all very short-term. Like, one day only. That means if you like what you read about here, you need to jump straight up to one of the Source links below and make your purchase quickly. First up, we have Samsung's very own 'flagship killer', the Galaxy S20 FE. Its normal retail price...

If you're in the US and are wondering which carriers are going to offer the upcoming OnePlus 9, that may be coming sooner than expected, then wonder no more. The enterprising folks over at XDA Developers have discovered, through a deep dive into the OxygenOS code, that the OnePlus 9 is in fact headed to both Verizon and T-Mobile. On the other hand, the OnePlus 9 Pro seems to only be on the way to T-Mobile, with Verizon seemingly foregoing the more...

While the S21 series is supposed to launch a month earlier than expected, it seems that the design is still being tweaked. OnLeaks is back with a revised version of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, which has a different camera design from the original renders. Revised design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra - note the extra camera/sensor No, the camera island will still look like that, but there’s an extra module on the back. It’s not clear if this...

OnePlus has published an early access version of the HeyMelody app, which can be used to update the firmware of several True Wireless headsets. The main difference between it and the OnePlus Buds app is wider support. HeyMelody supports OnePlus’ Buds and Buds Z, as well as a couple of Oppo Models – Enco W51 and Enco X. You can use the app to pair the buds, check their battery levels and, of course, update their firmware. HeyMelody let's you update...

It’s not like anyone really wanted this year to get any scarier, but Samsung just figured it probably can’t make things much worse and now our skin is crawling and we’re not sure how to undo that. The whole gimmick here was to promote SmartThings in a way that lets the public know Samsung is keeping tabs on the calendar as much as any real, totally not incorporated human being, if not more. Because...

Samsung reported its quarterly results for the July-September 2020 period and the numbers look promising. The revenue is KRW66.96 trillion which is the highest ever in the history of the company, while the operating profit is KRW12.35 trillion - a 52% increase from the previous three-month period and 59% better than last year. Q3 2020 Guidance KRW / USD Q2 2020 Results KRW / USD Q3 2019 Results KRW / USD Sales 66.96 trillion / 59 billion 52.97 trillion...

Mercedes-Benz is doubling down on its efforts to embrace the Internet of Things and related technologies, starting with the 2021 iteration of its iconic S-Class. With this in mind, the German automaker turned to Samsung and the Korean tech giant turned the S-Class into a full-featured smart home hub. This whole lot of turning was significantly easier to implement than any feasible in-house solution...

One UI 2.5 debuted with the Galaxy Note 20 series back in August and Samsung had gradually made it available for other devices through firmware updates. In a somewhat surprising move, the latest device to receive the One UI 2.5 firmware update is the Galaxy A70s, a smartphone that hasn’t seen the light of day in too many markets outside of India. The latest update for the Galaxy A70s is identified by firmware version A707FDDU3BTH4, it weighs roughly...

While Huawei didn’t rank highly in Counterpoint’s Trust Rankings, things are about to change as Wang Chenglu, the President of Huawei’s consumer business software department, says that the company is preparing to release an EMUI 11 update for 37 models. This will push the upgrade rate over 90%. Flagships in the Huawei P40 and Mate 30 series received a public beta of the new OS version on October 10. Today, ten more models are joining the beta program,...

Samsung’s mobile division has been able to ride out the pandemic in Q3 2020. As the world gradually opened up after restrictive lockdowns, Samsung’s focused on providing products that helped customers make the most out of the new normal. The company revealed in its full earnings release for Q3 2020 today that the mobile division’s profits surged by 51% compared to the same period last year. It has...

Earlier this week, news broke out that vivo is gearing up to replace its Funtouch OS with an all-new overlay called Origin OS based on Android. The project has been dubbed a complete makeover of Funtouch OS and now we have official confirmation from vivo that Origin OS is indeed real thanks to several posts from the brand’s official WeChat account. vivo Origin OS teasers The launch of the new OS is expected to take place on November 19 when vivo...

Smartphone makers shipped a record-setting 53 million units in India this quarter, reports Counterpoint Research. This is a growth of 9% year over year (YoY). “The Indian smartphone market is on a recovery path as the lockdown restrictions have been relaxed,” said Senior Research Analyst Prachir Singh. Still, most people prefer to shop online. Xiaomi pipped Samsung to become the top brand in India in 2018, but now the Korean company has reclaimed...

Samsung reported its highest-ever quarterly revenue for Q3 2020. It even recaptured the number one rank in the Indian smartphone market after a gap of two years. Now, it is being reported that the Galaxy S20 was the world’s best-selling 5G smartphone series. According to the latest numbers from market analysis firm Strategy Analytics, the Galaxy S20+ 5G was the world’s best-selling 5G smartphone in the first half of 2020. The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G...

There’s a new Galaxy S21 Ultra leak today and it’s all about the camera setup. The very first unofficial renders of the device surfaced about two weeks ago. They gave us an idea of what Samsung’s next flagship smartphone might look like. It’s not uncommon for subsequent leaks to reveal changes to the original design. That’s what we’re seeing in today’s leak. Samsung has apparently been rather indecisive about the rear camera configuration for the...

Despite being a full week away from going on pre-order, Apple’s iPhone 12 mini somehow managed to get into the hands of Romanian tech journalist George Buhnici. He then posted a detailed hands-on video of the device where he gives us our first live look and compares it to the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro which further reinstates the mini’s tiny stature. At 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm and 135 grams, the mini is going against the mainstream and finally delivers...

The new Android security update for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is already rolling out to select variants of Samsung’s second-generation foldable flagship as of today. The build number attached to this over-the-air package, F916BXXU1BTJB, by itself confirms the target is the SM-F916B model. It also reveals there’s more to this particular firmware version than just a new set of fixes for any number of security vulnerabilities. With that said, even something...