Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact and XZ Premium are now getting Android Pie

Shortly after the Xperia XZ2 lineup got the Android 9.0 Pie treatment, the company promised to do the same with its older XZ1, XZ1 Compact and XZ Premium until October 26. Well, about two weeks later, the three handsets are finally getting the much-needed upgrade. Today, users report that they are getting the OTA update on their handsets pushing the build number to 47.2.A.0.306 and we hope that it was worth the wait, all bugs were squashed and no major issues would arise. The OTA not only updates the OS but also bumps up the security patch to October 1 and Sony's new camera...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz1_xz1_compact_and_xz_premium_are_now_getting_android_pie-news-34162.php

Apple acknowledges iPhone X's touch issues and MacBook Pro 13's data loss

There has been an ongoing touch issue with some of the iPhone X units as well as MacBook Pro 13 data loss problems and the company is now acknowledging them by launching a replacement program for both. If you are one of those users experiencing "ghost touches" or the panel not responding to touches on your iPhone X, then you are eligible for a free replacement. You just have to contact your local service center and let them resolve the issue by replacing the panel or even the whole unit. Along with the iPhone X replacement program, Apple is also running one for its MacBook Pro 13...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_acknowledges_iphone_xs_touch_issues_and_macbook_pro_13s_data_loss-news-34161.php

Deal: SanDisk Extreme Plus 128GB for $29.99

If you are an owner of a smartphone with expandable storage and you are on the market for microSD cards, this deal could be just for you. Best Buy offers a SanDisk Extreme Plus microSD card for just $29.99, down from $269.99, although SanDisk's official website lists the card for $79.99 (It might have been $270 at launch time?). Nevertheless, you get a pretty good discount for a fast microSD with up to 170 MB/s read and 90 MB/s write speeds. That's enough for 4K video recording, which means you can use it for video equipment, not just your smartphone. Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deal_sandisk_extreme_plus_128gb_for_2999-news-34164.php

Samsung J4 Core goes official with big 6-inch display and 3,300 mAh battery

After the leak the other day, the Samsung J4 Core doesn't surprise us with its official release today, but we will go over this once again. It's the company's second Android Go-powered handset after all and will probably be a good deal in the emerging markets. Samsung J4 Core The most notable feature would be the display - it's still LCD, but it comes in a big 6.0" diagonal and an HD+ (720 x 1480) resolution. Sadly, the chipset hasn't been updated this year and it's the same in-house Exynos 7570 Quad SoC with a (you guessed it) quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 1.4 GHz that we...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_j4_core_goes_official_with_big_6inch_display_and_3300_mah_battery-news-34160.php

Amazon agrees to sell Apple iPhones and iPads just in time for the holiday season

Apple and Amazon have made for Amazon to sell Apple products on several of its markets around the globe. This deal lets Amazon sell the latest iPad Pro, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, the Apple Watch Series 4, and Apple's lineup of Beats headphones - just in time for the shopping season and onwards. For the record, Apple's MacBooks have always been available from the retailer. Amazon once stopped selling Apple TV products since they competed directly with Amazon's Fire TV products. Today Amazon sells the Apple TV with no issues. The Apple HomePod, however, is not part of the deal. Rightfully so,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/amazon_agrees_to_sell_apple_iphones_and_ipads_just_in_time_for_the_holiday_season_-news-34159.php

Manual Android backup to Google Drive option rolling out now

Google Drive keeps tabs on a lot of your Android phone's data like text messages, app data, contacts, and in some cases call history. However, there's never been an option to manually back up your data. Android phones automatically backup to Drive when the phone is plugged into the charger and connected to Wi-Fi, so If these conditions are never met, chances are your data isn't being backed up. Recently, a 9to5Google reader tweeted about a new options in the backup settings that allows the user to manually initiate a Google Drive backup. The feature was never available until now but was...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/manual_backup_to_google_drive_option_rolling_out_to_android_now-news-34158.php

Huawei Band 3 Pro and Band 3e now available in the US

Huawei's got two new fitness bands coming to the market. In the US you'll be able to get either the Huawei Band 3 Pro or the Huawei Band 3e. The Band 3e is $30 and features a detachable body that you can fasten to your shoe for advanced motion tracking to collect your running data. It's more of a barebones fitness tracker so you can use it to track steps and workouts and its battery lasts about 14 days with typical use. Note that the 3e doesn't have a heart rate monitor but it does support sleep tracking. Huawei Band 3e with removable body The Huawei Band 3 Pro is the better...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_band_3_pro_and_band_3e_now_available_in_the_us-news-34157.php

What is color science and why does it matter?

Color science is the latest term to hit the internet and thrown around by anyone who has an opinion on cameras. These days, you can't go through any camera review, whether of an actual camera or of a smartphone, without someone mentioning how good or bad the color science is. So what exactly is the color science of a camera and is it really as important as thecoolcameraguy69 says it is in some YouTube comment you saw online? Let's find out. What is color? Before we find out what color science is, we must learn what color is and how it comes about in a digital image. Color (or chroma...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/what_is_color_science_and_why_does_it_matter-news-34151.php

Samsung's new Exynos chipset powering the Galaxy S10 gets unveiled next week

Samsung is announcing its latest high-end mobile chipset on November 14. This has been revealed today by the company's official Twitter handle for all things Exynos. The SoC will power the Galaxy S10 launching next year, and it's expected to be called Exynos 9820. Past rumors have said that it will come with a dual-core NPU, and an octa-core CPU that will be a tri-cluster affair, sporting 2 Samsung-designed Mongoose M4 cores, two ARM Cortex-A76 cores, and 4 efficient ARM Cortex-A55 cores. The chip will be manufactured using the company's 7nm EUV process. This will deliver up to 50%...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_new_exynos_chipset_powering_the_galaxy_s10_gets_unveiled_next_week-news-34156.php

Xiaomi's Black Shark gaming phone arrives in Europe on November 16

Xiaomi's original Black Shark got unveiled back in April and now it's almost ready to launch in Europe. The handset will be available in 28 countries in the continent starting on November 16. You'll be able to pick one up from the company's dedicated online store, if you live in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, or the UK. The Black Shark comes with a 5.99-inch...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomis_black_shark_gaming_phone_lands_in_europe_on_november_16-news-34155.php

Android Pie beta with One UI lands on Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note9 on November 15

At its developer conference earlier this week, Samsung announced that the Android Pie software update for its flagships will come with One UI, a redesigned skin that focuses on simplification and ease of use. The company announced that the first public beta build of its Android Pie update with One UI was going to be available for the Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note9 by the end of this month. If that timeline was too vague for your taste, Samsung's German arm has come to the rescue today. Through a support chat, a German publication was able to find out exactly when the beta builds will be...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/android_pie_beta_with_one_ui_lands_on_galaxy_s9_s9_and_note9_on_november_15-news-34154.php

Huawei P20 deals make it cheaper than ever in the UK and Germany

Huawei's P20 is seeing some interesting price cuts in Europe right now. The phone that launched alongside the P20 Pro earlier this year is now at a point in its life where its maker feels comfortable offering it to you for just £399 SIM-free and unlocked. That deal is already available in the UK at Carphone Warehouse, as part of its Black Friday sales. The price will stay the same until November 16, after which it goes back up again to £599. Over in Germany, one seller on Amazon has slashed a cool €184 off the device's usual price of €649, so you can now have one for just €465. It's...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p20_deals_make_it_cheaper_than_ever_in_the_uk_and_germany-news-34153.php

Upcoming Galaxy A-series phones to have LCDs instead of AMOLEDs

The South Korean media outlet ETNews claims to have inside information regarding the 2019 Galaxy A smartphones. Reportedly, the upcoming Galaxy A50 and A60 smartphones will come with LCD panels instead of AMOLEDs while the A30, A40, A70 and A80 will retain the latter. The most obvious reason for this decision is the fact that the Chinese manufacturers are eating away the sales. And according to the report, the future Galaxy M series are getting the ax as well - most of the models will incorporate LCD panels although, there are a few planned to be with AMOLED. To remind you, the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/upcoming_galaxy_aseries_to_feature_lcd_panels_instead_of_amoled-news-34152.php

Samsung's W2019 flagship flip phone announced with two AMOLED screens

Samsung's China-only flagship flip phone was just announced and it comes with not one, but two AMOLED screens so you can use it without opening it but when unfolded, you will be greeted with the number dial pad and hardware navigation keys. But not all things are retro as the handset sports some modern and powerful hardware. A Snapdragon 845 does the number crunching with the help of 6GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, which is also expandable. Both displays are Super AMOLED with conventional 16:9 aspect ratio, 4.2" diagonal and 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution. The...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_w2019_flagship_flip_phone_announced_with_two_amoled_screens-news-34147.php

Now the Google Pixel 3 is overheating while charging

In the latest installment of the notorious Pixel issues, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL are shutting down due to overheating. The issue has been reported by a few users - not enough to cause pandemonium, but enough to be considered a real issue by Google, which is reportedly sending affected users replacement phones. It seems like the trouble starts when the Pixel 3 is being charged and used at the same time. Some have reported that charging wirelessly on the Pixel stand while watching a video or taking a video call is causing the Pixel 3 to become really warm and shut down. Google Pixel...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/now_the_google_pixel_3_is_overheating_while_charging-news-34148.php

Huawei patents phone design with a hole in the display for the earpiece

Holes are the new notches - Huawei is considering cutting a slit for the earpiece as revealed by a design patent filed with the USPTO. This is interesting, because the expectation was that holes will be used for selfie cameras (like in Samsung's Infinity-O design and teased with the Galaxy A8s). In fact, the patent doesn't mention the selfie camera at all. A Huawei design that leaked in July showed a camera in the hole and the earpiece on the bezel above it. That design also envisioned an in-display fingerprint reader while this patent seems to place it under the camera on the back. Huawei...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_patents_phone_design_with_a_hole_in_the_display_for_the_earpiece-news-34149.php

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) review

Isn't the Samsung A-series just a royal mess - even numbers, odd numbers, pluses sprinkled here and there, and a year stamp to top it all off. Let's go ahead and see what the Galaxy A7 (2018) is exactly and who it's for.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a7_2018-review-1851.php

Here's what the new Apple MacBook Air looks from the inside

Apple finally updated its cult classic Macbook Air with a Retina display and added all the necessary niceties a 2018 Apple laptop should offer - thinner bezels, precision aluminum body, gargantuan force touch trackpad and Touch ID. The new Air also sits at the $1,200 entry price for an OS X laptop, which guarantees it will be a huge hit. So let's look at it from the inside, courtesy of iFixIt. The team at iFixIt have torn the new MacBook Air wide open and given it a repairability score of 3/10, which isn't that great, but it's unsurprising for a MacBook. One of the most...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/heres_what_the_new_apple_macbook_air_looks_from_the_inside_-news-34142.php

Vive Focus standalone VR headset launches in the West at $600

HTC announced the Vive Focus - its first standalone VR headset - a year ago, but all this time it was available only in China. No more, the Focus is going global to match its "world-scale" capabilities. This headset will be available in 37 markets and will cost $600 in the US (note that the regular Vive for PC is $500). The Vive Focus Advantage service program brings up to cost to $750, but offers dedicated professional support and is aimed at businesses. The Vive Focus is powered by a Snapdragon 835, matching the new Oculus Quest ($400, Spring 2019). The 2,880 x 1,600px AMOLED...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vive_focus_standalone_vr_headset_launches_in_the_west_at_600-news-34146.php

Samsung is working on a Android Pie-based One UI for the Note8 and S8/S8+

After Samsung announced its brand new One UI during its SDC 2018, many were wondering which phones will be getting the new look. We are happy to see that the Galaxy Note8 will most probably receive the latest and greatest from Samsung as well, at least according to a report coming from the developers team in Korea. Reportedly, the developers are working on a software with build number N950FXXU5DRK4, the last four letters denote the version of the Android OS. The current build number of the Note8 ends with CRxx and "C" stands for Android Oreo so it only makes sense for "D" to be...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_is_working_on_a_android_piebased_one_ui_for_the_note8_and_s8_s8-news-34144.php

Kirin 990 to be built by TSMC 7nm process

Huawei introduced the Kirin 980 chipset with AI features, and 1.4 Gbps download speeds in September. The platform made its way to the Mate 20 series and is likely to appear in the next-gen Huawei P flagships. Although the SoC is still new, the Chinese company is already working on the follow-up, and according to industry sources, preparations for Kirin 990 has already begun. Reports from China claim TSMC will build the chipset on the 7nm processor. Industry insiders claim the subsidiary manufacturer HiSilicon has invested around CNY200 million in research and development, which...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/kirin_990_to_be_built_by_tsmc_7nm_process-news-34141.php

Hold on tight to your Google Pixel 3 because Google can't repair it right now

It's been almost a month now, Google's latest Pixel 3 and 3 XL phones are on the streets and some users just like the feel of the frosted glass back and don't want to ruin their experience with a screen protector. But a case and screen protector might be prudent as numerous reports over the internet say that Google can't fix their broken Pixels. If you happen to be one of those users, you better think twice because breaking the back or the front of panel of your Pixel 3 or 3 XL would result in weeks or even months in a limbo before Google can take care of the broken handset. Even...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/hold_on_to_your_google_pixel_3_because_google_cant_repair_it_right_now-news-34138.php

Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi Mix 2S receive Mi MIx 3's Night Scene camera mode

Just two weeks ago the Xiaomi's Mi Mix 3 was announced and the company's co-founder, Lei Jun, promised to deliver the phone's excellent camera software to its other two flagship phones - the Mi Mix 2S and the Mi 8 since they all rely on the same dual-camera setup. The feature comes in the form of a MIUI 8.11.8 closed beta in China, which means that international rollout of the stable ROM is imminent. That's, of course, if no major issues arise. The only difference between the older Mi 8 and Mi Mix 2S, and the new Mi Mix 3 is the camera software. It makes all the difference when...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_8_and_mi_mix_2s_receive_mi_mix_3s_night_scene_camera_mode-news-34136.php

vivo X21s is official, it's actually the vivo V11

Three things are certain in life - death, taxes, and the vivo V smartphone being sold as vivo X in China. Such is the case with the vivo V11 (better known as V11 Pro in India) that just got introduced on its domestic market as vivo X21s. The phone has the same specs, same footprint and the same UD fingerprint scanner. Quietly appearing on the official website, the phone is available in Starry Night and Millenium Powder, which is a gradient between gold, pink and aqua blue with chequered texture. The screen is 6.41" AMOLED panel to let the fingerprint reader to do its job. Тhe...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_x21s_is_official_its_actually_the_vivo_v11-news-34137.php

LG Q9 front panel leaks in first press render

Back in the beginning of September we heard about an upcoming smartphone called LG Q9, but the rumor mill kept quiet since then. Now we have a new leak, suggesting the Korean company is indeed launching the phone. An image revealed the front of the device, showcasing a notch, huge tall display and the usual set of keys on both sides. Looking at the render, the LG Q9 is quite similar to the LG G7 Fit. This means either LG is preparing its first device from the Q series with a notch to copy the G-phone, or MySmartPrice is terribly wrong with its exclusive info. Assumptions also...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_q9_front_panel_leaks_in_first_press_render-news-34135.php

Google finds Night Mode really helps battery endurance

Google has revealed its findings about dark mode and how it affects battery life. During this week's Android Developer Summit, Google spoke to app developers about what they can do in order to yield the best battery life for the user's device. Generally, power consumption goes up as you raise the screen's brightness. However, the color being displayed also affects the power consumption of the display. This is where Google shows how well Night Mode is at conserving power. Here's a comparison done with the first Google Pixel and the iPhone 7. These have an AMOLED and IPS LCD panel,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_finds_night_mode_really_helps_battery_endurance-news-34134.php

Vine successor called "Byte" coming in spring 2019

There's some good news for Vine fans or ex-creators. Dom Hofmann, co-founder of Vine, has teased today via Twitter that the successor to Vine is going to be called "Byte" and will launch in Q2 of the upcoming year. The platform will presumably be based on the same premise of the original Vine app: create or post video clips that loop forever. More specific details haven't been unveiled like: How long can the videos be? Where will we be able to share these videos? What features will the Byte app have? There are more questions than answers right now. our new looping video app is called...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vine_successor_called_byte_coming_in_spring_2019-news-34133.php

Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design arrives in China on November 17

One of four Mate 20 models announced by Huawei at its special event last month is the Mate 20 RS Porsche Design, and this has the honor of being by far the most expensive of the bunch. We've already seen it go up for pre-order in the UK with an expected shipping date of November 16. Today the company itself has unveiled the official release date for the smartphone in its home market of China. If you've saved up the cash, know that you'll find the Mate 20 RS Porsche Design in stock in its online store on November 17 at 10:08 AM. It's priced at CNY 12,999, which roughly translates...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_20_rs_porsche_design_arrives_in_china_on_november_17-news-34132.php

Samsung's bulky W2019 clamshell phone leaks in short video

Samsung is one of the only manufacturers that makes clamshell smartphones and as they come, the W2019 is pretty powerful. It has two (4.2-inch) AMOLED screens, a Snapdragon 845, 3,000mAh battery and will cost a pretty penny when it becomes official tomorrow - November 9. The latest leak of the W2019 is a short clip showing the W2019 being flipped open and closed and giving us a glimpse at its two screens, and numpad. We've already had a very good look at each side of the W2019 and tomorrow the phone will be detailed in full.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_bulky_w2019_clamshell_phone_leaks_in_short_video-news-34128.php

Xiaomi Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A review

This year, Xiaomi has released the new Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A models, updates for last year's Redmi 5 and 5A. Launched at the same great prices as last year, the new models feature an updated design, larger displays, newer 12nm chipsets, and a few other bells and whistles.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_6_6a-review-1850.php

Rome: Total War game arriving on Android in December

Activision released Rome: Total War for PC in 2004 and the strategy has been capturing our hearts since then. Feral Interactive managed to port the game for iPad in 2016, while an iPhone version appeared this summer. Now it's time for Android to get it and the developers promised a December arrival. David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive, said the company is ready to push an Android version of the game and will arrive at a limited range of Android devices. Market-wise it will appear in Google Play and Samsung Apps Store only for countries in North America and Europe,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/rome_total_war_arriving_android_december-news-34125.php

Xiaomi arrives in the UK with phones and accessories in tow

Xiaomi says "hi" from the UK - the company brought its extensive roster of gadgets to the country and the first flash sales is tomorrow. All the fan favorites are up on mi.com/uk - the Pocophone F1 starts at £330, the Mi 8 Pro at £500, the Redmi 6A at just £100. If you're more into Android One, the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite are available as well. Some Mi headphones are on the website as well (unfortunately, not the Mi AirDots, at least not yet), some accessories like power banks and the Mi Band 3 too. Aside from Mi.com, you can buy Xiaomi products online from Amazon, Carphone...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_arrives_in_the_uk_with_phones_and_accessories_in_tow-news-34131.php

OnePlus 6T gets a proper teardown, reveals the under-display FP scanner

Ever wondered how the OnePlus 6T's optical under-display fingerprint reader looks? Well, JerryRighEverything has you covered. After taking it apart to make a transparent back, he now goes through the whole disassembly process and walks us through the hardware in there. And arguably the most interesting part is the in-display fingerprint reader. The video shows off the hole right under the AMOLED panel that lets the sensor take a close-up shot of your fingerprint and all of its ridges and pores. The sensor also looks a lot like a regular camera, but a lot smaller. Jerry even turns on the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_6t_gets_a_proper_teardown_reveals_the_underdisplay_fp_scanner-news-34129.php

Google rebrand Files Go to just 'Files', updates the UI along the way

Google released the Files Go app late last year and as the name suggests, it was meant for Android Go users. Well, it proved so popular (even among mainline Android users) that the app is getting rebranded to just "Files by Google". Files Go was meant to help you clean out the clutter out of the limited storage on Android Go phones. But Google noted that the app has grown to 30 million monthly users, some of which were using powerful phones with plenty of storage. We guess it's easier to lose a file in 128GB of storage than in 8GB, such lost files pile up and take up room. It's...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_rebrand_files_go_to_just_files_updates_the_ui_along_the_way-news-34130.php

Honor celebrates 1 million+ phones sold during Diwali

Honor's festive offers were a hit in India - not just on Flipkart, but Amazon too. In total the company sold over 1 million devices, marking a massive 300% growth year over year. The Top 5 cities by sales were Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Kolkata. The star phone of Flipkart's Big Billion Days was the Honor 9N. Meanwhile, the Honor 8X was the best seller in in the INR 12-15,000 category over at Amazon's Great Indian Festival. Honor celebrates 1 million+ phones sold during Diwali The massive sales lead to a 32% growth of the brand's fan base. All told, 3.92 million Honor...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_celebrates_1_million_phones_sold_during_diwali-news-34126.php

Nokia 8.1 inching closer to launch, NCC report from Taiwan says so

The Nokia 8.1 was first spotted on Geekbench a few weeks ago giving out some of the specs, including the Snapdragon 710 chipset. The new NCC filing from Taiwan might suggest we are looking at imminent launch. The report lists a Nokia device with model number TA-1119 but as always, doesn't disclose anything specific about the device itself. That's TENAA specialty. Anyway, rumor has it the device will sport a notch, a rear-mounted fingerprint reader and will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. Still, the Nokia 8.1 remains pretty secretive so we have to wait a little bit longer for...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_81_inching_closer_to_launch_ncc_report_from_taiwan_says_so-news-34124.php

Fossil launches Fossil Sport, a Wear OS smartwatch running the Snapdragon 3100

Today, Fossil announces its latest smartwatch simply called: the Fossil Sport. The fitness-oriented Wear OS device will run the latest version of Wear OS with a revamped fitness and navigation UI. It also has Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip that replaces the far-outdated 2100 chip. The Fossil Sport has a 350 mAh battery and comes in six body colors and there are 28 available silicone strap colors. There are also two sizes 41mm and 43mm with 18mm or 22mm bands, respectively, and the watch cases are made of aluminum and nylon which keeps the weight down. The newly redesigned...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/fossil_watch_sport_snapdragon_3100_wear_os-news-34119.php

Realme phones arrive in Malaysia

Realme announced a global expansion back in September, and it looks like the company is keeping its promise one country at a time. The Realme 2 Pro, Realme 2, and Realme C1 were introduced in Malaysia, its third market after India and Indonesia. The phones will be available soon at Lazada, Shopee and the brand's own store. The cheapest of them all is the entry-level Realme C1, priced at MYR449 ($107/€95). It is powered by a Snapdragon 450 and has 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. It is currently discounted to MYR399 and will remain like that for a month. Next in line on the price spectrum...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_phones_arrive_in_malaysia-news-34123.php

Android adds support for flexible displays

The Android platform nowadays can be seen running on multiple devices, not only on smartphones. And naturally, with the push of flexible smartphones, Google is adding support for that form factor and it's gearing up for the future. No wonder Samsung and Google were working together creating the new One UI for Samsung's phones. For now, Android developers are focusing on the two-screen and the one-screen devices as shown in the .gif below. Either way, Android will strive for the so-called continuity so that the content transitions from the folded screen to the unfolded state without...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/android_adds_support_for_flexible_displays-news-34122.php

Oppo announces over 100 million shipped phones with VOOC

Oppo held an event in Shanghai, called "Super VOOC Flash Charge Day" to celebrate over 100 million shipped devices with VOOC fast charging technology. The VP of Oppo Shen Yiren, responsible for the Domestic Business of the company, said the new standard is leading change in consumer habits with people plugging their devices in the morning instead of leaving them overnight. To celebrate the milestone and to pave its way to the new Super VOOC standard, Oppo introduced Pikachu as their ambassador. As part of the promo, the company launched a protective case for Oppo R17 Pro,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_100_million_shipped_phones_vooc-news-34121.php

Xiaomi Redmi 6, Redmi 6A arrive for sale in India

Fans of Xiaomi in India were filled with joy when the company introduced its Redmi 6 series smartphones in the first week of September. Almost two months after the announcement, the Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A have started appearing online for sale. The Xiaomi Redmi 6 can be currently found on Flipkart and Mi.com. Sadly, only the 3 GB + 64 GB option can be purchased for INR9,499, with all four colors available - Black, Rose Gold, Blue, Gold. The 3/32 GB, costing INR7,999, is listed as "Coming soon" at the retailer but is expected to come out of the blue by the end of the week. The...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_6_redmi_6a_for_sale_india-news-34120.php

Honor View 10 will be just $349 for Black Friday

Black Friday is this month, and every company under the sun is getting ready for it. Huawei's sub-brand Honor is no exception, and what it's planned for the US market is rather impressive. Long story short: between November 23 and November 26 you'll be able to buy an unlocked Honor View 10 from the company's US online store for just $349. That's $150 less than the phone's usual selling price of $499, so you're saving a lot. Of course you need to be patient and wait until November 23 to grab one at that price. Quantities may be limited, as with all such deals, so you'll want to make...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_view_10_will_be_just_349_for_black_friday-news-34117.php

Deal: brand new T-Mobile iPhone 8 for $499.99, 8 Plus just $599.99 at Costco

A few days ago Apple started selling refurbished iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus units, starting at $499 and $599, respectively. That's a good deal, but what if you want a brand new device instead? Well, you're in luck if you're a Costco member and don't mind having T-Mobile as your carrier. The retailer is offering the iPhone 8 for $499.99 and the iPhone 8 Plus for $599.99, and again, these are new and never used. The offer is valid until November 15, but you will need to activate them on T-Mobile with qualifying service in order to get those prices. Although Apple would like people...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deal_brand_new_tmobile_iphone_8_for_49999_8_plus_for_59999_at_costco-news-34115.php

Here's what's wrong with the Pocophone F1

Few smartphones have managed to surprise the mobile world in the past few years as much as Xiaomi's Pocophone F1. Basically the last time a handset promised such high-end specs for such a low price was when the OnePlus One made its debut. In the meantime OnePlus phones have become ever more expensive, which created the space in the market that Xiaomi is now filling with the Pocophone F1. We've already gone through its top features and reviewed it, both in writing and in video form, but we also wanted to dive deeper into everything that isn't quite right with this device. That's...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/heres_whats_wrong_with_the_pocophone_f1-news-34118.php

Notches are coming to Samsung phones

It's a terrible day for notch haters. Samsung, one of the last holdouts in this regard, is ready to give up and join every other smartphone maker in Notchland. At its developer conference today, the company teased three different notch designs that it plans to use for its devices in the near future. From the left to the right in the image below, we've got Infinity-U, Infinity-V, and Infinity-O. These are brands for the displays that will incorporate said notches. As you can see, all three are basically shaped like the letters used to name them. U and V are traditional notches,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/notches_are_coming_to_samsung_phones-news-34116.php

Samsung's Android Pie update arrives in January for the Galaxy Note9, S9, and S9+

Although its developer conference was very much focused on the foldable phones of the future, Samsung hasn't forgotten about the devices that are already on the market. So it announced that it will be releasing updates to Android 9 Pie for the Galaxy Note9, S9, and S9+ in January. An open beta program for the new release will become available later this month, but initially this will only be available in the US, South Korea, and Germany. The beta should head to other European and Asian countries at some later point. One UI, the company's new skin on top of Android (bye-bye Samsung...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_promises_android_pie_update_arriving_on_galaxy_note9_s9_and_s9_in_january-news-34114.php

Razer Phone 2 review

The Razer Phone 2 is not your everyday, regular phone, in much the same way the Razer Blade is not exactly a conventional laptop. On the surface, this may sound like a straight-out praise, but in reality, there are many facets to such a device and more than one way to approach it.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/razer_phone_2-review-1849.php

Samsung announces Infinity Flex Display, One UI and talks about Bixby's future

During its annual developers conference (SDC 2018), Samsung just announced its Infinity Flex Display and a so-called One UI that makes company's foldable phones more usable. It then talked about the scalability of Bixby and how the virtual assistant would grow in the future and eventually reach a broader range of Samsung and non-Samsung products. But let's talk about the interesting stuff first, hence the Infinity Flex Display. As expected, Samsung didn't announce a fully working flexible smartphone here but instead showcased its ready, elastic OLED panel that's going to be the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_announces_infinity_flex_display_one_ui_and_talks_about_bixbys_future-news-34113.php

OnePlus Switch update adds support for transferring data from an iPhone

OnePlus has updated its Switch app to add support for transferring data from iPhones. Unfortunately, there is no companion app on iOS on the App Store, so the process is a bit complicated. The full set of instructions are on the OnePlus forum but the gist is that you need to download a beta version of the OnePlus Switch app for Android along with the iOS app from OnePlus website. Then you have to give special permissions to the app you just downloaded on your iPhone for it to work, since it is not an App Store app. After that you get hotspot settings on your OnePlus phone, which...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_switch_update_adds_support_for_transferring_data_from_an_iphone-news-34112.php

OxygenOS 9.0.5 for OnePlus 6T improves screen unlock

OnePlus is rolling out OxygenOS 9.0.5 for the OnePlus 6T. The update, which is under 100MB, only has two states changes, one of which is ‘Improvements for Screen Unlock'. Personally, we didn't see any improvement in screen unlock pre- and post- update. It still mostly works fine, until you switch hands and use your other thumb, which totally bamboozles the system for some reason, even though the other thumb is also registered. It's only when you use the other thumb a couple of times does it start working fine with it. Apart from that, the other change is ‘General bug fixes and...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oxygenos_905_for_oneplus_6t_improves_screen_unlock-news-34110.php