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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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OnePlus 7T long-term review

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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,...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Samsung Galaxy S11 will reportedly use the Snapdragon 865 chipset in more regions

Samsung's Exynos division may be losing its biggest customer - Samsung's phone division. Korean publication The Elec reports that the upcoming Galaxy S11 flagship will use the Snapdragon 865 chipset over the Exynos 990 in all regions but one. Traditionally, the US, China and Japan got Snapdragon chips, due to better support of local 4G flavors by the Qualcomm modem. However, next year all regions except Europe will switch over to the Snapdragon. Yes, even Samsung's home country of South Korea - while the market isn't that large (~20 million shipments a year total), it's a point of pride...

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Samsung Galaxy S11 series to launch on February 18 alongside new clamshell foldable

According to a new tweet from noted tipster IceUniverse, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S11 series and its rumored clamshell foldable phone on February 18 in San Francisco. This in turn would be right before MWC 2020 and falls in line with Samsung's release schedule from the past several years. For reference, the S10 series and Galaxy Fold were announced on February 21 this year. Rumors: Samsung Electronics is tentatively launching the Galaxy S11 series and clamshell foldable phones in San Francisco, USA on February 18, 2020.— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 11, 2019 The Galaxy...

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Oppo Enco Free truly wireless earbuds are coming alongside Reno3 series

Earlier today we got confirmation about the launch of the Oppo Reno3 series which is scheduled for December 26. Now, the company is also giving us a look at their upcoming Enco Free truly wireless earbuds which will go official alongside the new Reno devices. Just yesterday we saw a teaser for the earphones during the company's Inno Day event. Oppo Enco Free in White, Black and Pink As we can see they feature an AirPods-like design complete with a charging case and will come in three colors - White, Black and Pink. The case itself has an LED light on the front and a pairing...

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Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G gets a new version

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G that was unveiled in September was available in China in two memory versions - 8GB/256GB and 8GB/512GB. Today a third variant joins them with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. This new model is priced at CNY6,399 ($910/€820) and can be pre-booked in China starting December 12, with sales commencing from December 18. The Mate 30 Pro 5G is powered by the Kirin 990 SoC and runs Android 10-based EMUI 10 out of the box. It sports a 6.53" OLED display having a FullHD+ resolution and a fingerprint scanner underneath for biometric security. Huawei Mate 30 Pro The...

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Samsung Galaxy Note10 5G gets new Android 10 beta, S10 5G receives stable build

Samsung has released the fifth Android 10-based One UI 2.0 beta for the Galaxy Note10 5G and Note10+ 5G in South Korea. The new build sports version number ZSL7 and can be downloaded from the Settings > Software update menu of your device. Samsung Galaxy Note10 The new firmware fixes camera memory leak and issues related to clipboard edge and lockscreen. You can check out the complete list of bugs fixes below, which is machine translated from Korean: Camera Memory Leak If you switch to landscape mode while setting up subscription calendar, FC occurs Some Android process...

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Exynos 980, Mediatek MT6885 appear on AnTuTu, both yield impressive results

Mediatek and Samsung have introduced 5G modems and SoC that go with them, but we are yet to see them in actual smartphones. Today both the MT6885 and the Exynos 980 popped up at the Chinese benchmark website AnTuTu, revealing impressive scores - the Mediatek one gathers about 380,000, while the Samsung one is just past the 326,000 threshold. Mediatek MT6885 AnTuTu 7 results The results might look impressive on their own, but when we put actual phones on the market in comparison, their superiority quickly diminishes. However, a comparison with a device that is running a...

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Vivo X30 to have 64 MP main camera, 32 MP sensor for portrait shots

The vivo X30 is launching on December 16 with four cameras, and today we finally got to see what sensors are hiding behind the lenses. According to an official teaser, posted by vivo, the main shooter is 64 MP, while the other three were leaked by a trustful source on Weibo. As advertised, the vivo X30 will have a dedicated portrait camera that could replicate the result of professional shots with a 50 mm lens, and the phone will do it with a 32 MP snapper. The ultra-wide-angle camera will be 8 MP, while the periscope cam is coupled with a 13 MP sensor. The whole camera setup of...

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