OnePlus 8 finally gets Android 11 update on Verizon and T-Mobile

Never settle? When it comes to updates for carrier-branded devices, OnePlus is more like Sometimes settle. Or even - Always settle. We're talking about how long it takes carrier versions of its handsets to receive big new Android updates. Case in point, the OnePlus 8. Unlocked units have been bathing in the glory of Android 11 since mid-October. And yet, if you bought one from Verizon or T-Mobile, the rollout has only started today, more than three months later. That's... something. But hey, it's better than nothing. So if you have a OnePlus 8 on Verizon or T-Mobile, it may be time...

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New TV ad for Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21+ is all about the cameras

Remember when people went on trips? For fun? Yeah, those were the days. Samsung seems either unaware of the ongoing global pandemic and the measures taken by most Western governments to deal with it by restricting traveling, or wants you to forget about all that and just picture yourself on an epic trip. That's the theme of the company's latest TV ad for the Galaxy S21 and S21+, which just became available in stores today. The main focus (pardon the easy pun) is on the cameras, with 8K video recording being mentioned among many other things. Curiously though, at one point the ad...

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Android 11 beta now available for Oppo Reno2 F, Reno 10x Zoom and F15

Oppo just opened up the Android 11 beta program for three of its phones - the Reno2 F, the Reno 10x Zoom and the Oppo F15. However, this applies only to the Indian variants but will soon be available to other regions as well. Also, the registration for Reno2 F users has already ended. The Android 11 beta comes with ColorOS 11 on top and you can enroll your device by going to Settings > Software Update > Settings again and then "Trial version". It's simple as that. After you've filled out the form, you will be able to upgrade to the beta version of the software. Via

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LG’s 2020 financial report shows Mobile division is still burning cash

The past weeks have been filled with mixed reports on LG’s future in the mobile sector and there’s clear reason why – LG Mobile is still operating at a loss. Today, the Korean tech conglomerate published its Q4 2020 financial report and the numbers show the Mobile division capped a loss of KRW 841.20 billion ($750.63 million) for the 2020 calendar year. Operating loss for the October-December period alone was KRW 248.5 billion ($222.93 million) and marked LG Mobile’s 23rd consecutive quarter ending with a loss. The report notes stagnant sales of LG’s premium smartphones and shortage of...

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Apple might use the battery as a haptic engine in its future Watches

As per a new patent filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, Apple is looking into the option of making its future Watch thinner by removing the haptic feedback engine altogether. But since the haptic feedback is essential to the user experience, the company wants the battery itself to take over that role. It describes a "moving battery component" that provides the haptic feedback. By removing the vibration motor, Apple might free up some space and make the battery itself bigger and ultimately improve battery life. Or the manufacturer has some other plans to utilize the free...

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Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro to sport a 5,000 mAh battery

Numerous previous reports claimed that the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro will feature a 4,700 mAh battery but according to an inside source that has access to an early engineering sample, the unit will actually be 5,000 mAh. A famous Chinese tipster on Weibo revealed the details saying that the battery is split in two suggesting that some ultra-fast charging is at hand - not that it was ever in doubt. However, he doesn't name his source and just said that the latest engineering sample came with a 5,000 mAh battery. This is even a step up from last year's Mi 11 Ultra. Earlier reports...

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Moto G9 Power review

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Google Play Store to allow real-money gambling apps in 15 more countries

Real-money gambling apps on the Google Play Store are currently only allowed in the UK, Ireland, France and Brazil but starting from March 1 this year, an additional 15 countries will be added to the mix. The Play Store policy change will allow gambling apps in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. The accompanying developer note on Google’s support page specifies four gambling categories including online casino games, lotteries, sports betting and daily fantasy sports....

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Renders show a possible iPhone 12S Pro (or 13 Pro) design - almost the same as the current 12 Pro

The iPhone 12S is expected to have the same design as the current 12-series, except for being slightly thicker. LetsGoDigital and Concept Creator partnered up to create speculative 3D renders of what the iPhone 12S Pro will look like. The design is not an exact replica of the current Pro as the notch is smaller. However, what you can’t see is even more important. For one, Apple is expected to include its first ever in-display fingerprint reader on the 2021 models. Speculative renders of the Apple iPhone 12S Pro (aka iPhone 13 Pro) Who will supply those sensors is an interesting...

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ZTE Axon 30 Pro might come with Samsung's 200MP sensor

Two new Weibo posts about ZTE's upcoming Axon 30 Pro hint that the phone might come with Samsung's yet-to-be-announced 200MP S5KGND sensor. The information comes from a Chinese tipster and an official ZTE representative. First, let's go through ZTE's official post. It says that the handset will feature a Snapdragon 888 chipset, which isn't really a surprise, but the text stresses the new Spectra 580 ISP and the fact that it supports 200MP cameras. Why would he mention that? He also boasted the handset's ability to take low-light photos in extremely dark conditions - as low as 0.1...

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Telegram’s latest update lets you import chat history from other apps

Telegram v7.4.0 is now making its way to users across Android and iOS and it brings the option to migrate chat history from other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Line and KakaoTalk. This move comes after WhatsApp’s controversial privacy policy change to share user data with Facebook which led millions of users to jump ship and switch to other platforms like Telegram. The new chat transfer feature works for both individual and group chats. Move your message history from apps like WhatsApp, Line and KakaoTalk to Telegram. https://t.co/PediepRhyt pic.twitter.com/VPeuilGt2T— Telegram Messenger...

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Xiaomi Mi 11 and MIUI 12.5 global announcement scheduled for February 8

After a successful launch in China, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is ready to go global – that will happen on February 8. There’s no official word on the Mi 11 Pro (or Mi 11 Lite for that matter) yet, though. But that doesn’t mean the phone is coming alone to the party, it will arrive hand-in-hand with the global announcement of MIUI 12.5. Xiaomi will announce the exact details of Mi 11’s international rollout at the event, which starts at 12PM UTC. So far Spain seems to be the only country confirmed to get it, but other EU countries with Mi stores also seem like safe bet. The exact price will...

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Watch how the new Samsung Galaxy S21 ringtone “Over the Horizon” was made

Samsung launches its Galaxy S21 series today, and as is tradition, the new flagships got a new rendition of the “Over the Horizon” ringtone. The melody went through many changes since its introduction with the Galaxy S II back in 2011, and this year’s variant is a reflection of what we endured in 2020. The piece was created and performed by pianist and composer Yiruma, who wanted to “give users a sense of comfort and familiarity.” Check out the full track below: Samsung has also posted a short Making of video, showcasing how Yiruma composed the new piece that actually sounds like...

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Samsung Galaxy S21 series goes on open sale

Exactly two weeks after it kicked in pre-orders, Samsung opened regular sales for its brand new Galaxy S21 series in over 60 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. Availability will grow to 130 countries by the end of February. Those who preordered their new Galaxy flagships will start receiving their phones today. You can head this way for a detailed comparison of all three models. Check out the table below for the base prices of all three models in major markets. Country Galaxy S21 Galaxy S21+ Galaxy S21 Ultra...

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Xiaomi Black Shark 4 appeares on Google Play Console

Xiaomi is working on the Black Shark 4 gaming phone, and the device has just appeared on Google Play Console with some key specs. The phone is codenamed Kaiser (the German word for emperor) and will have 8GB RAM and Android 11 out of the box. Xiaomi Black Shark 4 on Google Play Console The listing also revealed the Black Shark 4 would have Full HD+ resolution with a 20:9 ratio. While this is hardly a surprise, the listed chipset is listed as Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, which is clearly a mistake. That's also confirmed by the phone's AnTuTu score of nearly 800,000. We might lack...

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Realme 7i arrives in Europe as a rebranded Narzo 20

The Realme 7 series in Europe includes three smartphones - Realme 7, Realme 7 5G, and Realme 7 Pro. Today the company added a fourth member to the lineup as it introduced the Realme 7i in the Old Continent. However, the Realme 7i arrived in Europe is not the same as the one announced last year in India and a few other Asian countries. The European 7i is actually a rebranded Narzo 20. That means the Realme 7i in Europe comes with a Helio G85 SoC, 6.5" HD+ screen, and a 6,000 mAh battery with 18W charging. Realme 7i (Europe) • Realme Narzo 20 For photography, the 7i has a...

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Pro versions of iPhone 13 (or 12s) rumored to feature 1 TB of storage

Apple is reportedly working on 1TB versions of the upcoming iPhone 13 – actually, the iPhone 12S, says leakster Jon Prosser. Current Apple phones top out at 512GB, have done so since the XS generation from 2018. The new model is still very much in the prototype stage of development. And some prototypes of the Pro models have 1 TB of memory built in – the cap for the vanilla models is, as usual, lower. Storage aside, Prosser quotes a source who stated that the iPhone 12S/13 will have a smaller notch – but not that this means smaller height, not smaller width as you may have hoped (fair...

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Canalys: Tablet shipments hit all-time high in Q4 2020

The unusual times we live in today pushed customers towards PC, notebook, and tablet purchases for education and entertainment. According to the latest report by Canalys, manufacturers shipped 52.8 million tablets in Q4 2020 - the highest amount ever. The analysis also revealed Chromebook sales went through the roof, with 11.2 million shipments in Q4 2020 and 30.7 million for the calendar year. That’s almost two-fold increase over 2019 when makers shipped only 14.7 million units. Shipments / Company Q4 2019(in million) Q4 2020(in million) Change 2019(in...

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Samsung Galaxy S21 series goes on sale

Exactly two weeks after it kicked in pre-orders, Samsung opened regular sales for its brand new Galaxy S21 series in over 60 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. Availability will grow to 130 countries by the end of February. Those who preordered their new Galaxy flagships will start receiving their phones today. You can head this way for a detailed comparison of all three models. Check out the table below for the base prices of all three models in major markets. Country Galaxy S21 Galaxy S21+ Galaxy S21 Ultra...

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Here's Apple's 'Shot on iPhone' special for the Chinese New Year

Every year Apple makes a special short film to commemorate the Chinese New Year and every year it's "Shot on iPhone". This year the film is shot on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but just like before Apple notes that additional hardware and software was used. The film itself is a nice heartwarming tale about a girl and the mythical Nian creature, which according to Chinese folklore is a beast that lives in the Sea or Mountains and comes out at the beginning of the Chinese New Year to feed on people and animals. Here's the entire 12 minute clip. And as usual Apple posted another clip for...

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Oppo A94 gets certified with 30W charging

An Oppo device with model designation CPH2203 was certified by Singapore's IMDA about two weeks ago, which we now know is the Oppo A94 as the smartphone has bagged NBTC certification. The Thai certifying authority reveals the A94 will be a 4G smartphone, but other than that, it doesn't divulge anything. Oppo A94 certified by Thailand's NBTC However, the A94 has also been certified by China's CQC, revealing 30W charging in the process. Oppo A94 certified by China's CQC We also saw CPH2205 on Geekbench with a Helio P95 SoC, 6GB RAM, and Android 11, which is believed to be...

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Meizu 18 appears in a hands-on video with under-display camera

The Meizu 17 series was unveiled last May, but we may see the company introduce its successors earlier this year since the Meizu 18 has appeared in a new hands-on video. The clip shows the Meizu 18 with an all-screen front. The smartphone has slim bezels, and we don't see the selfie camera, meaning it's likely under the screen. However, Meizu won't be the first brand to bring an in-display camera smartphone to the market. That honor goes to ZTE for its Axon 20 5G. You can read our ZTE Axon 20 5G review to learn all about it. Details are scarce about the Meizu 18 right now,...

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