Google Pixel 4a with custom firmware was used by FBI to intercept criminals messages

An intriguing story by Motherboard tells the tale of an ordinary-looking midrange phone with significant intentions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) used a Google Pixel 4a with customized firmware to intercept messages sent to direct criminal activity. Motherboard obtained the actual device and detailed how this was done. Motherboard has obtained and analyzed an Anom phone from a source who unknowingly bought one on a classified ads site. Court documents explain that an ex-seller of other bands of secure devices developed their own product called “Anom” and presented it to...

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vivo Y53s 4G announced with Helio G80 and 64MP triple camera

vivo launched the Y53s 5G last month, and today, the company announced its 4G counterpart, but it isn't just a 4G variant of the Y53s since the two smartphones have different specs sheets. For starters, the vivo Y53s 4G is powered by the Helio G80 SoC, whereas the 5G model has a Snapdragon 480 chip at the helm. Moreover, the selfie shooter has got a megapixel bump - up from 8MP to 16MP - and the 64MP primary and 2MP macro cameras on the rear are now joined by a 2MP depth sensor. The screen refresh rate has been reduced from 90Hz to 60Hz, but the battery charging speed has increased...

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Google Pixel 5a stops by the FCC ahead of launch

Google is still hard at work on the Pixel 5a 5G, a phone that back in April it denied was canceled. The company alluded that its official launch would happen around the same time of year that the Pixel 4a got announced in 2020, which was in August. This means we're probably only a few short weeks away from the unveiling, and that's been confirmed by the Pixel 5a's presence at the FCC today. The US regulatory agency issued two separate IDs for versions of the Pixel 5a, of which one is probably intended for the North American market, and another for the rest of the world. The differences...

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OnePlus 6 and 6T get Android 11 Open Beta 1

Remember when OnePlus was really fast in delivering new Android versions to its phones? Yeah, those were the days. Nowadays, while Google is already testing Android 12, and has outed multiple beta builds so far, OnePlus is testing Android 11 for the OnePlus 6 and 6T. Okay, granted, these are old phones, and it's nice to see them being updated to Android 11 at all, despite the huge delay. Back in April the company promised it would out an Open Beta build of OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 for the 6 and 6T in August, and yet it's delivered it today, a month or so ahead of schedule. That's a...

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Samsung is cracking down on supply chain leakers

Leaks have become an integral part of the smartphone industry and it seems impossible to keep a smartphone under wraps until its announcement these days. However, brands like Samsung and Apple don't really appreciate having their products revealed long before the actual announcement. And those leaks more often than not occur somewhere in the supply chain. Reportedly, Samsung is looking to minimize those leaks and has already issued strong warnings to its supply chain partners. The company has already started investigating leakers and is handing out copyright statements so that the...

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Samsung Galaxy A10s gets Android 11, its second and last major OS update

Another budget Galaxy A-series phone is getting updated to Android 11. The latest addition is the Galaxy A10s which originally launched with Android 9 and previously got updated to Android 10 back in April of last year. This will most likely be the last major OS update for the A10s. The new update bears the A107FXXU8CUG1 build number and also brings the July 2021 Android security patch. Users in Malaysia and Vietnam have reported the update to be available on their devices and it should also come to units across more markets in the coming weeks. Galaxy A10s owners can expect the...

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Huawei Band 6 comes to India for INR 4,490

Just a few months after its official unveiling in China, Huawei’s Band 6 has made its way to India. Blurring the lines between smartband and smartwatch, Band 6 offers a large 1.47-inch AMOLED display with 100+ watch faces, health and fitness tracking for 96 modes and a 2-week battery life. Pricing is set at INR 4,490 ($60) and first sales are scheduled for July 12, exclusively through Amazon India. Color options include Graphite Black, Sakura Pink, Amber Sunrise and Forest Green. You get continuous heart rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring here alongside sleep and...

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ZTE Axon 30 5G teased with 400ppi in-display camera area

Earlier this week, ZTE teased the Axon 30 5G with an in-display selfie camera, and today the company dropped another teaser, revealing the area above the camera will have a pixel density of 400ppi - that's 2x more than the previous generation. Higher pixel density will result in better image quality, better clarity, and less fogging, which is what marred the experience on the Axon 20 5G - world's first commercial smartphone with in-screen camera. Besides, greater pixel density should also make the under-display selfie camera less noticeable. ZTE Axon 20 5G ZTE hasn't divulged...

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Samsung's Bixby gets a major update, no need for voice training anymore

A new Bixby update is being rolled out to Samsung users that should significantly improve the user experience. The update doesn't make it much smarter than it already is but it helps with the ease of usee. For starters, the "Hi Bixby" command doesn't require voice training anymore, streamlining the initial setup. The response to your voice query has also been modified and it no longer takes up the whole screen but just a small portion of it. It will stay there for 15 seconds by default, but there's an option to adjust that time. An important under-the-hood change will be the...

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Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro tipped to use a Snapdragon 870, vanilla model to get S860

Xiaomi is expected to introduce a new premium tablet later this month. Rumors so far have dubbed it the “Xiaomi Mi Pad 5” and while we don’t have official confirmation for that name just yet, the certifications it has received and info coming from leaksters reveal a few details about it. Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro (M2105K81C) appears on MIIT This model, M2105K81C, is the higher-end Pro model with 5G connectivity, which will be powered by a Snapdragon 870 chipset. There will be a Wi-Fi only model as well with a Snapdragon 860, according to Digital Chat Station. Previous rumors claimed that...

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US smartwatch market is on the rise, to hit $10 billion this year

New market analysis by TradingPlatforms, predicts that the US smartwatch market will hit the $10 billion revenue mark by the end of 2021 and will keep growing substantially over the next five years. By 2025, the sector could grow beyond $14 billion, the analysts predict. There are some other interesting stats in that report. For instance, China leads the smartwatch market with a $12 billion, followed by the US with $10 billion dwarfing Japan, France and South Korea all of which see smartwatch sales below $1 billion. Infographics The report also predicts a steady growth in...

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Qualcomm announces Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders with Snapdragon 888 and 6.78-inch 144Hz AMOLED screen

Qualcomm has more than 1.6 million ‘Snapdragon Insiders’, a community of fans and enthusiasts who participate in online forums and are among the first to hear about news coming from Qualcomm. To cater to these power users, Qualcomm has partnered with Asus to deliver a unique smartphone. Qualcomm announces the “Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders” and yes, that’s the official name. To those who can afford the curated offering of $1,500, the package includes the handset, along with a pair of TWS earbuds with Snapdragon Sound produced by Master & Dynamic, a bumper case, a Qualcomm...

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OnePlus confirms July 22 launch date of Nord 2 5G

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is right around the corner, and yesterday the first batch of teasers appeared online. Today we received an official confirmation in our inbox that the new midranger will arrive on July 22 at 7:30 PM. The announcement from OnePlus we received in the mail We are pretty confident what the phone will look like, thanks to unofficial renders, and the company confirmed the Nord 2 will be powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 1200 chipset. Specs have also leaked, suggesting a 6.53” AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 4,500mAh...

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Our Sony Xperia 1 III video review is out

The Sony Xperia 1 III may be the ultimate power user phone – it checks boxes that other phones don’t even know exist (e.g. dual focal length telephoto) or have forgotten about (3.5 mm jack, what’s that?). But it’s also a phone that is not easy to love due to some frustrating limitations. The main attractions are out in the open – the 4K OLED 120 Hz display, the stereo speakers, a microSD slot, two-stage shutter key, mostly stock Android 11 along with the aforementioned headphone jack. But when we dug into the details, we found that not all is as it seems. For one, only some apps...

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Samsung Galaxy M52 5G goes through 3C certfication, battery capacity revealed

Samsung's top M-series phone, the Galaxy M52 5G, is approaching release and a 3C (Compulsory Certification of China) is here to add another item to list of known specifications. The certification docs confirm a battery capacity of 4,860mAh. We believe that this is the rated (minimal) capacity so the typical, marketed capacity will be 5,000mAh. Going by a previous leak, the camera setup will be identical to the Galaxy A52's while the Snapdragon 778G is believed to be powering up the Galaxy M52 5G. Via

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Poco F3 GT due to launch in India with Dimensity 1200 chipset

Back in May, Poco confirmed that its upcoming Poco F3 GT phone will launch in Q3 (July 1-September 30) and will be powered by the Dimensity 1200 chipset. The device is expected to be a rebranded Redmi K40 Gaming Edition and earlier today, Poco India posted a cryptic tweet which confirms its F3 GT is indeed coming to India soon. FFFor real??? pic.twitter.com/FKUUnuFfSg— POCO India - The God Of Madness (@IndiaPOCO) July 8, 2021 The new teaser confirms the F3 GT is launching in India soon and we get a snapshot of the device at the end. The looks do match the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition and...

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Google faces lawsuit in the US over Play Store monopoly

36 US states have filed a lawsuit against Google over engaging in monopolistic activities in app distribution and payments on the Play Store. The suit at the US District Court for the Northern District of California claims Google is violating Section 1 and 2 of The Antitrust Laws, better known as the Sherman Act. According to the plaintiff states, Google is imposing “technological obstacles or inaccurate warnings” to scare away users from sideloading apps and prohibiting OEMs from preloading competing app stores. OnePlus 9 Pro According to the documents, over 90% of Android users...

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The design story behind the Oppo Reno6 and the manufacturing process told through videos

The Oppo Reno6 series is preparing to launch in India next week, but before the fireworks start, the company took some time to describe the design process behind the Reno6's unique exterior. A big part of it is the “Sparkling Matte finish”, which sounds like an oxymoron. This was first introduced with the Reno5 Pro 5G, but after refining the process, Oppo has extended it to all models in the Reno6 series. The step-by-step process of creating the rear glass panel for the Reno6 series What it is is an anti-glare pane of glass that has been etched in a special...

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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE details listed on TENAA, has new 32 MP main camera, microSD slot

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is percolating through the Chinese wireless authority testing procedures and after a bit of waiting TENAA finally lists the device specifications along with the four usual product shots. We’ve seen renders and we’ve heard specs, but it’s always nice to get those confirmed by a reliable source. The S21 FE will have 6.4” display with 1,080 x 2,340 px resolution. That’s larger than the S21 (6.2”) and a bit smaller than the S20 FE (6.5”) with a different aspect ratio to boot (19.5:9 vs. 20:9). The phone measures 155.7 x 74.5 7.9 mm, slightly shorter and thinner than...

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Motorola One 5G UW Ace comes to Verizon

There’s a new and affordable 5G Motorola phone out on Verizon called the One 5G UW Ace. Yes, that’s a mouthful of a name but it’s been Verizon’s way of differentiating itself from the crowd. Spec-wise the phone is nearly identical to the Moto One 5G Ace launched earlier this year. The new device sports mmWave 5G connectivity and also debuts Verizon’s Adaptive Sound audio which is the carrier’s own spatial audio feature and a direct answer to the likes of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. The premise is that it can optimize sounds across all apps and media on your device including on your...

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Motorola Edge 20, Edge 20 Pro pop up on TENAA, confirm key specs

Two Motorola smartphones were just certified by TENAA, XT2143-1 and XT2153-1, and they appear to be the Edge 20 and Edge 20 Pro devices, since they are matching the previously leaked specs. The vanilla variant is indeed having a 2.4 GHz CPU, which is the frequency of the prime cores in the Snapdragon 778G, while the Pro option is listed with a periscope lens and 3.2 GHz processor, which matches the Snapdragon 870. Motorola Edge 20 The Motorola Edge 20 will arrive in China with three RAM and three storage options - 6/8/12 GB and 128/256/512 GB. Usually, TENAA also lists...

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