OnePlus 7T gets OxygenOS 10.0.7 with November security patch and camera improvements

OnePlus has released OxygenOS 10.0.7 update for the OnePlus 7T which brings in November 2019 Android security patch to the Snapdragon 855 Plus-powered flagship. The update also squashes some bugs and comes with camera improvements. Additionally, the new firmware optimizes RAM management as well as the launching speed of some apps. Here's the full changelog of OxygenOS 10.0.7: System Improved the launching speed of some apps Optimized the RAM Management Optimized the black and white screen issues with some apps Improved system stability and...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_7t_oxygenos_10_0_7_update-news-40576.php

Realme Buds Air will go on sale from December 17, company teases seamless connectivity

Realme will launch its first truly wireless earphones - Buds Air - on December 17 at an event in New Delhi, India. And the company has announced that these will go on sale the same day starting at 2 pm local time through Realme.com and Flipkart. Revel in #TrueWireless connection that's uninterrupted by wires.Launching #realmeBudsAir at 12:30 PM, with Hate-To-Wait sale starting at 2PM, on 17 December on https://t.co/HrgDJTZcxv and @Flipkart. 3 days to go for a #RealSeamless experience.Know more: https://t.co/4aHmvSiQOo pic.twitter.com/YbmYt5al8A— realme (@realmemobiles) December 14,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_buds_air_sale_date-news-40575.php

Leaked Oppo poster reveals A91 and A8 details, confirms the Reno3 design

A recently leaked Oppo poster is here to reveal a bit more details about the upcoming A91 and A8 handsets. In fact, this is probably the first time we hear something about those devices. Looking at the image, the A91 and A8 look pretty similar with small waterdrop-like notches with the A91 being more minimalist in a way and having a quad-camera array instead of three like the A8. The main camera of the A91 appears to be 48MP, boasts 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and also VOOC 3.0 fast charging, which translates to 20W. And as for the A8's key features - 128GB of internal...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/leaked_oppo_poster_reveals_a91_and_a8_details_confirms_the_reno3_design-news-40574.php

Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G to sport a 90Hz display, color and storage options revealed

The Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G arriving on December 26 will flaunt a curved edged display with a punch hole in the top-left corner. Now thanks to a leaked promo material, we know the screen will boast a refresh rate of 90Hz. The Reno3 Pro 5G will be joined by a non-5G variant as well as the vanilla Reno3 and its 5G version. Oppo has already revealed the designs of these models, and now the company has confirmed they will come in four colors - Misty White, Moon Night Black, Blue Starry Night, and Sunrise Impression (machine translated from Chinese). Additionally, Oppo confirmed that Reno3...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_reno3_series_color_storage_options-news-40573.php

Realme 3 Pro gets Dark Mode toggle and December security patch with new update

Realme rolled out the Dark Mode for the Realme 3 Pro last month, which can be enabled from the Settings > realme Lab menu. Now the company has released a new software update with a toggle that lets you quickly turn on the Dark Mode from the notification center. Additionally, the new firmware, sporting version number RMX1851EX_11_A.21, bumps up the Android security patch level on the Realme 3 Pro to December 2019 and fixes the volume bar issue. Here's the complete changelog of the update: Security Android security patch: December, 2019 Launcher ...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_3_pro_dark_mode_toggle_december_2019_update-news-40572.php

Global wearable band market grew 65% in Q3, Xiaomi dominates worldwide

Earlier this week, the IDC reported that Apple dominated in the wearables industry last quarter, particularly in the 'hearables' sub-category with he growing popularity of AirPods. Today, a new report comes from Canalys that solely focuses on the wearable bands segment which includes the sales of smart fitness bands, smart watches, and fitness trackers. Globally, Q3 of this year saw For Q3, Xiaomi saw the most shipments in the category worldwide, shipping 12.2 million units with 74.4% of growth YoY and reaching 27% market share for the quarter. Xiaomi's growth is attributed to "strong...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/global_wearable_band_market_grew_65_in_q3_xiaomi_dominates_worldwide_-news-40571.php

Samsung denies reports that it sold 1 million Galaxy Fold units

Less than 24 hours ago, we reported about a revelation where a Samsung representative confirmed that the company sold more than 1 million of its innovative Galaxy Fold smartphones. Today, Samsung had to deny the media's reports of the supposed milestone. During the TechCrunch Disrupt Belin conference, Samsung Electronics' President Sohn Young-kwon revealed that Samsung sold 1 million Galaxy Fold smartphones. "And I think the point is, we're selling [a] million of these. There's a million people that want to use this product at $2,000." As per the denial report, the Samsung...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_denies_reports_that_it_sold_1_million_galaxy_fold_units-news-40570.php

OnePlus announces special event for CES 2020

OnePlus is sending out invites for a special event that will take place during CES 2020. The event will take place at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas from January 7 to January 10. The nature and purpose of this event is entirely unknown at this point. Calling the invite vague would be an understatement, considering the only relevant information on it is the date and location. The orange color might allude to something McLaren related but we are not sure what that might be. It's possible the event is regarding a new 5G device. Our source for the image is, after all, a mobile and 5G...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_announces_special_event_for_ces_2020-news-40569.php

Vivo details some of the new features in FuntouchOS 10

Vivo has been teasing the upcoming X30 for quite some time now. The intriguing phone is expected to feature and Exynos 980 chipset, complete with an integrated 5G modem, as well as an impressive camera setup. It will be unveiled on December 16 and in a rather anticipated development is now officially confirmed to feature the later version of vivo's custom Android-based OS. After some soul-searching regarding the platform's name, Jovi OS is out and FuntouchOS is going to stick around as the official title. Vivo was also kind enough to reveal a few of the new features coming to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_details_some_of_the_new_features_in_funtouchos_10-news-40568.php

New Oppo phone with 6.5-inch screen and triple camera setup pops up on TENAA

Most of the Oppo headlines in the past days have been about the upcoming Reno3 lineup but a new device from the manufacturer was just spotted on a TENAA listing. It bears the PDBM00 model number and will reportedly be a midrange offering with a 6.5-inch display, triple cameras and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The front houses a 6.5-inch display with a waterdrop notch but we don't get any clarification on the resolution nor the display type. Going around the back we see a vertically aligned triple camera setup and LED flash in the top left corner, flanked by the fingerprint...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_oppo_phone_pops_up_on_tenaa-news-40566.php

Facebook Messenger adds new Star Wars dark theme

Ahead of the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker release and in line with the recent trends dark mode aesthetics in apps, Facebook's Messenger has added a new Star Wars-inspired theme for die-hard fans. Of course, the theme isn't released to save on battery, it's all about looking fun, although it should put less strain on your battery than the normal white theme if you are using a phone with an OLED screen. Anyway, the theme also adds new Star Wars emojis, animated stickers and AR filters for video calls. Facebook said that the theme is limited edition but we still don't know what...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/facebook_messenger_adds_new_star_wars_dark_theme-news-40565.php

Microsoft announces Xbox Series X, arriving Holiday 2020

Microsoft today announced the next generation of game console, the Xbox Series X. Previously known as Project Scarlett, the Xbox Series X is the fourth major console release from Microsoft and will be available for purchase this time next year in Holiday 2020. The Xbox Series X is the successor to the Xbox One and the Xbox One X series of consoles and today's announcement finally gives us a look at the final design of the hardware. The Series X features a vertical, monolithic design that eschews the AV rack friendly form-factors of previous generations. Microsoft says the Series X...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_announces_xbox_series_x_arriving_holiday_2020-news-40567.php

Microsoft's Your Phone app can now handle calls as well

Back in July, Microsoft launched a new app called Your Phone that syncs your text messages, notifications and photos between your Windows PC and your Android phone. Today, the company announced that it's bringing a highly sought after feature - phone calls. The new functionality allows you to accept and make phone calls directly on your Windows PC without having to reach for your Android phone. It's much like macOS' Continuity feature and makes the connection between your devices seamless. Go try it out, it works pretty well but don't forget to install the Your Phone app on your PC...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/microsofts_your_phone_app_can_now_handle_calls_as_well-news-40564.php

Huawei's Kirin 1020 SoC tipped to have 50% better performance than the Kirin 990

The Kirin 990 was introduced not long ago, but rumors about the next-generation chipset from Huawei started flying in. And according to people familiar with the development of the Kirin 1020, codenamed "Baltimore", it would pose a significant upgrade over the Kirin 990 in terms of performance. Somewhere along the lines of 50% in raw speed gains. Coming from the Kirin 980 to the Kirin 990, the latter introduced an improvement mostly in energy-efficiency and 5G connectivity but thanks to the 5nm manufacturing process and the newly-designed ARM Cortex-A78 cores, the Kirin 1020 is set to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huaweis_kirin_1020_soc_tipped_to_have_50_better_performance_than_the_kirin_990-news-40563.php

Vanilla Oppo Reno3 is also coming with 5G

Oppo Reno3 lineup is arriving on December 26 and we know there is going to be a Pro variant with 5G and curved edges of the screen. It will also have a hole for the selfie camera in the upper left corner, unlike the regular Reno3 that will have a flat panel and waterdrop notch. Today, the company updated its boilerplate at the new phones' landing page, revealing that the Oppo Reno3 will have the Dimensity 1000L modem that supports 5G and is built by Mediatek. The boilerplate at Oppo's website Having a Mediatek modem means the phone will have a chipset from the Taiwanese...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vanilla_oppo_reno3_is_also_coming_with_5g-news-40562.php

Samsung Galaxy Note10 receiving stable Android 10 update

Samsung released the stable build of Android 10-based One UI 2.0 for the Galaxy S10 trio last month. And now, the company is seeding the stable build of the latest version of Android for the Galaxy Note10 and Note10+. Like the S10 trio, the Note10 pair was slated to receive Android 10 starting next month, but Samsung has managed to push the update ahead of schedule. However, the update is currently only rolling in Germany to those who enrolled in the One UI 2.0 beta program. It sports version number N97*FXXU1BSL7 and weighs around 145MB in size. You should get an update...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note10_android_10_stable_update-news-40561.php

Motorola Moto G8 Plus review

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_g8_plus-review-2046.php

Realme X50 5G to come before January 25

Realme has confirmed it will launch the Realme X50 with 5G support soon. The company hasn't revealed the launch date yet, but we'll likely see it go official before the Spring Festival in China, which is on January 25. This information comes to us through Realme product manager Wang Derek, who in response to a query confirmed that the X50 5G will arrive before the Spring Festival. Additionally, some users asked whether the X50 5G will sport a 120Hz display, to which Derek responded by asking "If so, would you buy it?" Does that mean the X50 5G will boast a 120Hz display? Well, since...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_x50_5g_launch_date_january-news-40560.php

Realme gives a sneak-peek of the Buds Air

We already knew the Realme Buds Air will have wireless charging, and just a day after the confirmation from the Realme India CEO, the company decided to tease the wearables on its Twitter, giving a sneak-peek to some fans. The short video reveals impressions of the design include amazing design, premium feel and unique yellow color. Our #realme fans got an exclusive sneak-peek at the all new #realmeBudsAir. And they absolutely love the design and feel of this #TrueWireless and #RealSeamless audio device. Check out the video and stay tuned for more exciting hands-on experience!...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_gives_a_sneakpeek_of_the_buds_air-news-40559.php

Nokia 2.3 coming soon to India

The Nokia 2.3 unveiled last week will soon arrive in India, since the company has begun teasing it in the country by posting a couple of videos on Twitter. The Nokia 2.3 is a budget Android One smartphone that's powered by the Helio A22 SoC and runs Android Pie out of the box. It has 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage onboard, which can be further expanded by up to 400GB via microSD card. The smartphone comes with a 6.2" HD+ notched display and has a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left side. It features a 5MP snapper on the front and a 13MP main camera at the back that's joined...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_2_3_india_launch_soon-news-40558.php

Samsung has already sold 1 million Galaxy Fold units

The Samsung Galaxy Fold has had an eventful life, being announced in February then almost making it to store shelves only to be pulled because of some issues that became apparent while it was being reviewed by international media. It was finally released in September, and Samsung has already sold more than one million units since. That might not seem like a huge number, but don't forget that this is basically the definition of a niche device. It is the first in an entirely new category of products, and it's also prohibitively expensive for most people. And yet, there still were a...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_has_already_sold_1_million_galaxy_fold_units-news-40557.php

Updated Google Assistant rolling out to Canada, UK, and others

Google Assistant got its most recent makeover with the debut of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. The first countries to see the updated Assistant interface with a less obtrusive transcription prompts was the US in English. According to a new Google support page spotted by 9to5Google, the updated look is coming to five new regions. Canada, Australia, the UK, Singapore, and Ireland will all see the updated Google Assistant UI, though only in English. Not only this, but the updated UI is only coming to Pixel 4 and 4 XL devices. The update will likely be rolling out to the new regions...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/updated_google_assistant_rolling_out_to_canada_uk_and_others-news-40556.php

Gap between Huawei and Samsung narrows for top phone maker in the world

Huawei has come a long way in the past five years. In 2015, it managed to ship over 104 million smartphones with a 5.5% market share and held the number 3 position worldwide. Then, in 2016, Huawei announced an ambitious goal to become the number 1 smartphone maker in market share by 2021. The latest report from Strategy Analytics shows that Huawei might hit that mark. The latest report from the Korea Herald estimates that Huawei will finish second this year with 251 million smartphones for an estimated market share of 17.7% share by the end of this year. That's just 3.6 percentage points...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/gap_between_huawei_and_samsung_narrows_for_top_phone_maker_in_the_world-news-40555.php

Google introduces Verified SMS and Spam Protection for Messages

In the past month or so, Google has turned on RCS for all US carriers within its own Google Messages app. Users who haven't already activated it should update both the Messages and Carrier Services apps. In addition to finally providing a viable successor to SMS, Google is announcing a couple of new features meant to keep users safe from spammy or malicious SMS-bots. When we receive a one-time passcode to our smartphones, its often from an unknown phone number. But other times we receive falsified SMS messages asking us to click on malicious links. Google is bringing ‘Verified...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_introduces_verified_sms_and_spam_protection-news-40554.php

Motorola One Power starts receiving Android 10

The Android 10 closed beta program for Motorola One Power launched a month ago and now the final and stable version of the software is rolling out to some Motorola One Power owners. In fact, according to Motorola's official support page, the model started getting the OTA update on December 10. The new software version comes with December security patch as well and will rollout gradually to all users. Motorola says that it should reach all devices by January 10. Aside from the security patch, the software also brings some stability improvements too. However, it's yet unknown if the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_one_power_starts_receiving_android_10-news-40551.php

Samsung's Galaxy Fold 2 will most likely use UTG display

A month ago information regarding the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 has leaked suggesting that it would use an entirely new display technology. In fact, since the phone is already in development, the company has already ordered a substantial amount. Now a EUIPO (European Intellectual Property Office) patent from Samsung confirms the company's plans. The new flexible layer is called UTG - from Ultra-Thin Glass. It can be applied to all sorts of electronics and types of displays but we suspect the main use case would be smartphones. The upcoming Galaxy Fold 2 next year is said to feature the UTG...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_galaxy_fold_2_will_most_likely_use_utg_display-news-40548.php

Redmi K30 actually has two punch holes on its display

The Redmi K30 duo was officially announced earlier this week and are tasked with succeeding the highly popular K20/ Mi 9T series from earlier this year. Both new K-series members boast 6.67-inch IPS panels with 120Hz refresh rates and pill-shaped cutouts for the dual selfie cameras. In a new development, it seems the space between the two sensors is actually masked through software to display a black bar. Redmi K30 dual punch hole display As per several Weibo posts, the software is masking the empty space between the two front cameras but when you go into the display options menu...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/redmi_k30_actually_has_two_punch_holes_on_its_display-news-40552.php

Samsung Galaxy W20 5G goes on sale in China and sells out instantly

Towards the end of November Samsung announced its Galaxy W20 5G in China which is essentially the Galaxy Fold 5G with a Snapdragon 855+ SoC, new white paint job and China Telecom exclusivity. At the event, Samsung China detailed that the phone would arrive in December but did not specify the date nor price. Today, Samsung listed the phone on its online store as well as popular Chinese online retailer JD.com. The asking price was CNY 19,999 ($2,842) and the phone sold out in a matter of seconds. Those who struck out today can try their luck again on December 20 when Samsung is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_w20_5g_goes_on_sale_in_china_and_sells_out_instantly-news-40544.php

Realme X2 Pro Master Edition now available for purchase

The Realme X2 Pro Master Edition, which was unveiled alongside the standard version back in October, is now available for purchase in China. The Master Edition comes in a single 12GB/256GB configuration and is offered in two colors - Red Brick and Concrete. It's priced at CNY3,299 ($470/€420), but for a limited time, you can get it for CNY100 ($15/€12) less from Realme's official China site. Realme X2 Pro Master Edition in Concrete and Red Brick colors The X2 Pro Master Edition shares the specs with the standard version, but it comes with frosted glass on the back with a soft-touch...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_x2_pro_master_edition_china_price_sale-news-40540.php

Samsung Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71 announced: Infinity-O displays and L-shaped quad cameras

As expected, Samsung today announced the first members of its Galaxy A (2020) series - Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71. Samsung Galaxy A51 The Galaxy A51 is powered by the Exynos 9611 SoC that's paired with up to 8GB RAM. It runs Android 10-based One UI 2.0 out of the box and has up to 128GB of storage onboard. It also comes with a microSD card slot, which allows storage expansion by up to 512GB. The Galaxy A51 is built around a 6.5" 20:9 Infinity-O Super AMOLED display of FullHD+ resolution that has a fingerprint reader underneath and a punch hole in the center for the 32MP selfie...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a51_galaxy_a71_specs_price-news-40543.php

Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G appears in live images

Oppo will introduce the Reno3 lineup on December 26 and we already have seen a lot of press renders and other official images of the Reno3 Pro device, expected to have 5G. Up until now, we didn't have live shots of the device, but thanks to a Chinese blogger, we finally got to see the Reno3 Pro in real life. The Oppo Reno3 Pro has the Oppo Reno2, iPhone 3GS, Nokia 5300, and the old-timey Motorola 888 that is so old, even we don't have it in our database. The blogger compared the devices and how they got thinner with time, with the Motorola being 50 mm, then the Nokia getting down...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_reno3_pro_5g_appears_in_live_images-news-40542.php

Samsung Galaxy M20 and M30 get stable Android 10 with One UI 2.0 in India

Following the quicker than expected roll-out of Android 10 to the Galaxy S10 series, Samsung has begun seeding the stable One UI 2.0 update to the Galaxy M20 and M30 in India, making them the first non-flagship Samsung devices to receive Android 10. Initially, both phones were scheduled to receive the big update in January 2020 but Samsung felt confident and decided to treat its users to the latest Android version. Samsung Galaxy M30 update changelog The updates come in at just over 1.29 GB, which is less than the nearly 2 GB update for the S10 trio. The M20 gets build number...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_m20_and_m30_get_stable_android_10_with_one_ui_20_in_india-news-40541.php

Realme Buds Air officially arriving with wireless charging

After our exclusive leak about the Realme Buds Air arriving with wireless charging, today the Realme India CEO decided to officially announce it on Twitter. The true wireless headphones will support basic Qi charging, meaning the battery could be topped on pretty much every charging pad on the market. The official launch is scheduled for December 17 - during the same event we are also going to see the Realme X2 appear outside of China. What makes #realmeBudsAir truly disruptive?Wireless Charging! Yes, you can charge with ease and convenience using any Qi-standard wireless charger.Isn't...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/realme_buds_air_officially_arriving_with_wireless_charging-news-40539.php

vivo iQOO Neo 855 Racing Edition goes on sale

The vivo iQOO Neo 855 Racing Edition announced last week is now available for purchase in China. It comes in two memory versions - 8GB/128GB priced at CNY2,598 ($370/€330) and 12GB/128GB that costs CNY2,798 ($400/€360). The iQOO Neo 855 Racing Edition is powered by the Snapdragon 855+ SoC and sports a 6.38" FHD+ display with HDR10 support and a fingerprint reader underneath. The smartphone runs Android Pie with Monster UI on top and comes with a liquid cooling system with a 10-layer heat dissipation structure. It also comes with features like Game Box and Game Space for a better...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_iqoo_neo_855_racing_edition_china_price_sale-news-40538.php

Meizu 17 first details to be revealed on December 13

Meizu has been silent on social media since the arrival of the Meizu 16T, but once Qualcomm went official with the SD865 and SD765 chipsets, the company popped back on Weibo. It revealed the Meizu 17 will come with 5G capabilities, and today we got another teaser. The new Meizu phone is likely in its final stages of development, and the company's profile posted a teaser, saying "How to experience Meizu 17 for the first time", coupled with tomorrow's date - December 13. While any information on the upcoming flagship is scarce, alleged renders of the phone suggested a...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_17_first_details_to_be_revealed_on_december_13-news-40537.php

Oppo Find X2 coming in Q1 2020 with Snapdragon 865 SoC

Oppo unveiled the Find X last June with a Snapdragon 845 SoC, notch-less display, and three cameras on a sliding mechanism. We were wondering if the Chinese phone maker will announce its successor, and in a discussion with Oppo, we were told that the Find X2 is coming in Q1 2020. The Find X2 will be powered by the freshly announced Snapdragon 865 SoC and the company has said there will be a great focus on the phone's screen - it will have higher resolution, higher refresh rate, better colors, and wider dynamic range compared to its predecessor. Oppo Find X The smartphone will also...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_find_x2_launch_date_q1_2020-news-40536.php

MIUI 11 (Global Stable) lands on the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A in India

Xiaomi is continuing its rollout of MIUI 11, the latest version of its Android skin, that was initially unveiled back in September. The company has been making steady progress in bringing it to as many of its old devices as possible, and today the software is reaching two more models. We're talking about the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A in India. Both of these are getting their first taste of MIUI 11. For the Redmi 6, the version that's rolling out is 11.0.1.0, while the Redmi 6A gets 11.0.4.0. In both cases it's the Global Stable ROM of course. MIUI 11 delivers all new features like Mi...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/miui_11_global_stable_lands_on_the_redmi_6_and_redmi_6a_in_india-news-40535.php

Huawei P40 Lite looks to be just a rebranded nova 6 SE

In a few weeks Huawei is expected to unveil the P40 family, and while the spotlight is usually on the namesake as well as the Pro model, let's not forget that there's always a Lite phone tagging along for the ride (and added brand cachet). Things will be no different in 2020, according to a new rumor, so expect to see a P40 Lite getting announced too. Here's the kicker, though - this may look familiar, and sound so too going by the specs. That's because it looks like Huawei will simply opt to rebrand the recently launched nova 6 SE and sell that as the P40 Lite in those markets...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p40_lite_looks_to_be_just_a_rebranded_nova_6_se-news-40534.php

OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro get November security patch with OxygenOS 10.0.3

OnePlus has started sending out a brand new software update to its devices from the first half of 2019 - the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro. Both of these are now in the process of receiving OxygenOS 10.0.3, and we'll warn you straight from the get-go that this isn't a huge update. It's basically only packing some unnamed improvements for system stability, general bug fixes, and the November 2019 security patch. No, you're not mistaken - we are already in December, almost at the middle of the month in fact. So even with this update, the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro are still one month behind on the monthly...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_7_and_7_pro_get_november_security_patch_with_oxygenos_1003-news-40533.php

Our Redmi Note 8 and Note 8T video review is up

Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi seems to be in an all-out war with Oppo sub-brand Realme, the purpose of which is apparently figuring out which company can churn out more mid-rangers in a set amount of time. They're both doing a swell job, and this time around two of Redmi's newest devices have made the trip to our video review studio. We're talking about the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8T. These may not be specced quite as high as the Redmi Note 8 Pro, but they're competing in a very crowded space, so let's see if they're worth your time and money. Our video review will tell you everything...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/our_redmi_note_8_and_note_8t_video_review_is_up-news-40532.php

OnePlus 7T long-term review

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_7t_long_term-review-2045.php

Angry Birds turns 10 years old

Ten years ago Angry Birds came out - since then, the colorful cartoony birds have become some of the most recognizable characters among young (and not-so-young) phone gamers. The original physics-based puzzle game had several followups, but the franchise branched out to other genres as well - racing, RPG, shoot ‘em up, pinball, plus several different kinds of puzzles. There have been crossovers with movies like Rio and Star Wars, but in 2016 the birds got a movie on their own (the sequel came out earlier this year). Apparently, there's a long-form TV series in the works for 2020 as...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/angry_birds_turns_10_years_old-news-40530.php

DxOMark: Motorola One Zoom has good main camera, bad ultra-wide and telephoto

DxOMark just released its review of the Motorola One Zoom - the company's most versatile and probably its best camera phone for a while. The review, however, says the cameras can't compete with more than half of the phones on in DxOMark's database. The overall score is 87 and that's mainly thanks to the primary camera. It has correct exposure, accurate autofocus, it's capable of nice bokehs and nice exposure with the flash turned on. On the contrary, the telephoto camera struggles with autofocus in medium and long distances. Additionally, all cameras suffer from limited dynamic...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/dxomark_motorola_one_zoom_has_good_main_camera_bad_ultrawide_and_telephoto-news-40529.php

The Oppo Reno3 phones will have 360° antennas for a more stable connection

Oppo's Global VP Shen Yiren revealed on Weibo that the Reno3 phones will have "360° antennas", which ensure optimal connectivity regardless of how you hold the phone (i.e. vertically or horizontally). The phone will also intelligently switch between 4G and 5G connections, depending on what you're doing, the internal temperature and battery consumption. For example, launching a video will put the modem in 5G mode so that it can pre-load the video and start playback as quickly as possible. By the looks of it, both the Oppo Reno3 and Reno3 Pro will have 5G versions, powered by the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_oppo_reno3_phones_will_have_360_deg_antennas_for_a_more_stable_connection-news-40528.php

TikTok's parent company ByteDance is testing its own music streaming app Resso

TikTok hit a milestone back in November amassing 1.5 billion downloads across the App Store and Google Play and becoming the third most downloaded app in the non-gaming category. Now ByteDance which is the company behind TikTok is looking to expand to music streaming with its new Resso app. It's currently live as a beta in India and Indonesia and is aiming to take on the likes of Spotify and Apple Music in emerging markets. It's developed by Moon Video Inc. and has already inked deals with Indian labels like T-Series and Times Music but is still working on expanding its global...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/tiktoks_parent_company_bytedance_is_testing_its_own_music_streaming_app_resso-news-40527.php

Apple releases iOS 12.4.4 for the iPhone 6s, 6 and 5s

Apple is rolling out iOS 12.4.4 for older iOS devices. These are devices that are not compatible with iOS 13 but are still being updated to patch them with the latest security fixes. The list of iPhones being updated includes the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5s. The iPads include the iPad Air (1st generation), iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3. Lastly, the update is also available for the iPod touch 6. The change log doesn't say much other than this being an important security update and that it is recommended for all. We suggest you take Apple's advice seriously and download...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_releases_ios_1244_for_the_iphone_6s_6_and_5s-news-40526.php

Huawei P40's first render leaks, to feature a curved 6.57" screen

Recently something that looks like an official render of the Huawei P40 started going around the web accompanied by some display specs as well. The original tweet from a few days ago reads 6.57-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel supporting HDR and covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color space - something you'd expect from a flagship phone. Although, something tells us this is all about the Pro version. Oh, and it will have two punch-holes to house the front-facing cameras on the front. As far as the leaked official render is concerned, it doesn't reveal much except that it's co-engineered with Leica,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p40s_first_render_leaks_to_feature_a_curved_657_screen-news-40525.php

Sony unveils 2x2 on-chip lens tech for Quad Bayer sensors, which promises better AF performance

Image sensors, especially ones with small pixels like in smartphones, feature an on-chip micro lens array to help guide all the arriving light to the sensor's photo diode. Right now, each pixel gets its own lens, but Sony has developed a way for four adjacent pixels to share a lens. This is aimed at Quad Bayer sensors where the four pixels already share a color filter. Differences in the sensitivity of pixels prevented such designs, but Sony says it has figured it out and calls its technology 2x2 On-Chip Lens (OCL). The main advantage of this design seems to be improved...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_unveils_2x2_onchip_lens_tech_for_quad_bayer_sensors_which_promises_better_af_performance-news-40523.php

Nokia C1 unveiled: an affordable Android 9 Go Edition phone

HMD unveiled a new Android Go Edition phone for emerging markets - the Nokia C1. In Kenya the phone is priced just KES 6,000 - $59/€53 - so the specs don't deviate much from the Nokia 1 Plus. It will also be available in Nigeria (and other countries), but we don't know the price yet. The C1 features a 5.45" display with 480 x 960px resolution. It's an IPS panel, which means better viewing angles than basic TFTs. Also, this phone sports toughened glass to guard the screen from scratches. The selfie camera on the front has a 5MP sensor and features an LED flash to help with low light...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_c1_unveiled_an_affordable_android_9_go_edition_phone-news-40522.php

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Note9 get Android 10 beta in the US

Samsung has released Android 10-based One UI 2.0 beta update for the Galaxy S9 duo and Note9 in the US. The update is rolling over the air to the unlocked S9, S9+, and Note9, so if you want to taste the latest version of Android, you can enroll in the beta program from the Samsung Members app and head to the Settings > System update menu to download the beta build on your device. Galaxy Note9 The new builds for all three devices come with the December 2019 Android security patch and weigh around 1.8GB to 2GB, but the firmware for the S9 pair sport version number G96*U1UEU7ZSL3...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s9_note9_android_10_beta_us-news-40517.php