Thursday, February 28, 2019

Xiaomi’s Black Shark gaming phone brand sets up an HQ in India, hinting at imminent launch

Many were skeptical of the idea of a segment of smartphones specifically dedicated to gaming, but it actually looks to be gaining momentum. We have multiple companies coming up with their own version of what they think a gaming-focused smartphone should be. The Black Shark is what Xiaomi came up with. We first heard about this smartphone in an official sense close to one year ago and while it has had a limited release (throughout the UK and Europe), Xiaomi is still working to bring the device to other markets. Black Shark is a sub-brand of Xiaomi that was founded back in 2017, and the company has announced they will be opening a headquarters in Bengaluru, India.

The Xiaomi Black Shark launched during the first half of last year and it was followed up by the Xiaomi Black Shark Helo during the second half. India has been a huge market for Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand as those devices are very price competitive for a popular market in the country. The Xiaomi Black Shark is a bit more expensive than their popular devices in India, but they could end up undercutting the competition like Nubia for an advantage. The Black Shark comes with a Snapdragon 845 SoC, up to 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage with a 4,000mAh battery.

Xiaomi Black Shark Helo XDA Forum

We don’t yet know when the devices will go on sale in India but the company is sending out press releases to announce its arrival. The new headquarters will be led by David Li, the current VP of their global division. He will also be managing the overall operations of the sub-brand in India. They even have an ex-OnePlus communications head, Chirag Nagendra, joining the team and they will be responsible for both brand building as well as coming up with a communications strategy for India’s marketing campaign.

Via: Gadgets 360

LineageOS 16 based on Android Pie is here for the Xiaomi POCO F1, OnePlus 5/5T, Honor View 10, and more

The custom ROM ecosystem is rather large and diverse, but if there’s one custom ROM that we could consider to be “the biggest” of them all, then that would be LineageOS. With almost 1.8 million active installs at the end of 2018, the project’s install base is definitely noteworthy but said success mainly harkens back to their legacy. LineageOS is the successor of the CyanogenMod project, which ended in late 2016 following the shifting focus of Cyanogen Inc.

The project was first launched to the public with LineageOS 14.1, which was based on Android 7.1 Nougat and, by itself, was not much more than just a fork of the existing CyanogenMod 14.1 source code. It then started evolving and taking a slightly different path with LineageOS 15.1, based on Android 8.1 Oreo, maintaining their premise of a community-centered project above everything while adding a number of useful, widely-requested features such as a system-wide dark mode as well as privacy-focused improvements like the Trust interface. Today, that evolution continues with LineageOS 16.0, the newest and latest version of the incredibly-popular custom ROM, as announced on the team’s blog post.

As is the norm, with a version number change comes a big platform update. LineageOS has been re-based on the latest Android Pie source code. And with this comes all of Android Pie’s new features and improvements, including the renewed Material Theme redesign, the new navigation gestures, and more.

With the release of official Android Pie-based builds, LineageOS 14.1 is being officially discontinued going forward, meaning that new, official 14.1 builds will no longer be published from now on. This was eventually coming as builds were deprioritized from a weekly basis to a monthly basis roughly 2 months ago. Just like the 13.0 (Android 6.0 Marshmallow) and 11.0 (Android 4.4 KitKat) branches, the 14.1 branches will remain open for contributions like security patches, and developers will still be able to build new, unofficial 14.1 builds. Furthermore, LineageOS 15.1 builds will now be built on a weekly rather than nightly schedule.

Initial list of devices with LineageOS 16 support

As it’s the case with all initial releases, the initial device roster for LineageOS 16.0 based on Android Pie will start out small and will expand with time as maintainers and developers complete the device bring-up process for their respective devices and meet the requirements laid out in the Device Support Requirements Charter. The initial roster of officially-supported LineageOS 16.0 devices includes 24 devices, which are listed below. Note that not all of the builds may be live at the time this article was first published, so check back to see if a build is available for your device.

Google

Honor/Huawei

LeEco

Lenovo

Motorola

OnePlus

OPPO

Samsung

Sony

Xiaomi

New LineageOS 15.1 (Android Oreo) Devices

As a bonus, a number of devices have received official LineageOS 15.1 support, including:

The team states that LineageOS 15.1 will still be under active development, but that new features likely won’t be added since most developers have moved on to the Android Pie branch.

What if my device is not listed here?

Just because your device isn’t listed here does not mean that you can’t get to enjoy LineageOS 16 by now. Because of its open source nature, there are a number of unofficial builds for many devices on our forums, many of which will end up becoming official builds as development progresses. What’s more: most of them are, by now, perfectly stable as daily drivers, with the occasional minor quirk.

If you want to dive right in, check our forums for unofficial Android Pie-based LineageOS 16 builds for your device. If, however, you’re afraid of something going wrong, then it’s wise to wait for official builds to arrive.

LineageOS 15.1 and LineageOS 16.0 Changelog

  • It’s now possible to set custom automatic update check intervals in the updater (never / once a day, once a week / once a month)
  • Calculator now supports dark mode through Styles API
  • Added “Mark as read” action in messages notifications
  • Exchange support
  • December 2018, January 2019 and February 2019 security patches have been merged
  • Webview has been updated to Chromium 71.0.3578.99

How to upgrade to Android Pie-based LineageOS 16 from Android Oreo-based LineageOS 15.1

If you’re not familiar with the process behind installing custom ROMs or, in general, modifying your phone, you’ll first need to unlock the bootloader of your device and install an updated custom recovery, such as TWRP, before attempting to do anything. Then, once LineageOS 16.0 builds become available for your device, you’ll need to install them through TWRP.

Luckily, the process is rather straightforward. If you’re currently running official LineageOS 15.1, you can upgrade to official Android Pie-based LineageOS 16.0 without wiping data by doing the following:

  1. Download the update, either from the links provided above or the built-in updater.
  2. Download an appropriate Gapps package (if you’re using Gapps) from OpenGapps, or whatever GApps package your device maintainer recommends. Accordingly, you should also download the latest build of Magisk if you’re rooted/want to root.
  3. Reboot into recovery mode.
  4. (Optional) Make a backup of the system, boot, vendor, and data partitions in case something goes wrong during the installation process.
  5. Flash the LineageOS 16.0 build, followed by the Gapps package as well as Magisk (if you’ve downloaded them).
  6. Reboot into the system.

If you’re currently using an unofficial LineageOS 15.1/16.0 build, another ROM, or your device’s stock firmware, then you should follow the same instructions as above, keeping in mind you should also wipe the user data (factory reset) before following through with the installation process. Additionally, make sure your device is using the latest firmware as well as the newest TWRP build available, in order to avoid conflicts and unexpected bugs.

Support LineageOS

LineageOS is a community-built project made by several developers who work in their free time and doesn’t depend on a business model of any kind. If you want to support the development team, you can donate to them on PayPal which will help with server costs. You should also follow them on Twitter or on their official subreddit if you want to see the latest news or converse with some of the maintainers. For submitting bug reports, see here. If you want to help the team translate the custom ROM into your language, you can do so by following the instructions here.

Follow LineageOS on Social Media

Donate to LineageOS

  • Donate to LineageOS via PayPal

[Discussion] What’s the better foldable: Samsung Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X?

The race for foldable devices is now officially on. During Samsung’s Unpacked event, the company officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the consumer version of their long-awaited foldable phone, alongside their Galaxy S10 line of flagship smartphones. Shortly after, during MWC 2019, Huawei launched the Huawei Mate X, their own take on a foldable device. Both phones feature bleeding edge foldable displays designed to stand abuse, wear and tear, but with starkly different approaches to how they work.

Samsung Galaxy Fold XDA Forum

The Samsung Galaxy Fold features what some media outlets are calling an “innie” display. The flexible 7.3-inch notched panel is revealed from the inside when opening up the device, which can be opened up and closed like a notebook, and a small 21:9 display outside of the device allows to use the device when closed. It’s a pretty simple approach, yet effective, and allows the display to not be scratched when the device is on your pocket.

Huawei Mate X XDA Forum

The Huawei Mate X, on the other hand, includes an “outie” display. Instead of having the display fold inside the device, the 8-inch flexible panel folds and wraps all around the outside of the phone. This allows for more flexibility in regards to the display’s capabilities: the screen can be split into three different display sections. The flexible display does not have a front facing camera or any other sensors as the display can be folded over the back together with the quad camera setup, so notches, display holes or any other artifacts do not exist here, giving you a near 100% screen-to-body ratio.

Huawei Mate X

The Samsung Galaxy Fold (left) and the Huawei Mate X (right).

Both devices have managed to spark an “innie vs outie” discussion among enthusiasts, debating which implementation is the best one. But we want to hear from you, too. Do you prefer the Galaxy Fold’s inside-facing display, or are you more of a Huawei Mate X person? Personally, I think the Galaxy Fold’s implementation is the best, but the Huawei Mate X is clearly the winner in terms of looks.

Let us know down in the comments!

Sony Xperia 1, Xperia 10, and Xperia 10 Plus forums are open

Among the plethora of devices announced at MWC 2019, Sony dropped three new Xperia phones with peculiar names. The Xperia 1 is the flagship, high-end phone, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus are mid-rangers. Forums for these three devices are now open!

The big thing about these phones is their display aspect ratios. 21:9 is considerably taller than most phones on the market, but it makes for a cinematic viewing experience. The Xperia 1 has a 6.1-inch 4K OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, triple rear cameras, 3,300 mAh battery, and Android Pie.

Sony Xperia 1 XDA Forum

The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus have the same tall aspect ratios, but slightly slimmed down specs. The Xperia 10 has a 6-inch LCD display, Snapdragon 630, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, dual rear cameras, 2,870 mAh battery, and Android Pie. The Xperia 10 Plus has a bigger 6.5-inch display, Snapdragon 636, 4GB of RAM, dual rear cameras, and 3,000 mAh battery.

Sony Xperia 10 XDA Forum Sony Xperia 10 Plus XDA Forum

XDA forums for all three devices are now open and ready for conversation. If you play on purchasing one of these Sony phones, head on in and share your thoughts with others!

How to remap Bixby to Google Assistant on the Samsung Galaxy S10, Note 9, and other One UI devices

At Samsung Unpacked, Samsung announced their new Samsung Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Fold. After the press discovered a new option in Bixby, Samsung confirmed that the button would be natively remappable. With an update released to the Bixby app on older One UI devices today, this is finally possible. However, it wasn’t all good news. Samsung is limiting the apps you can launch with the button. That means the Bixby button can’t natively launch Google Assistant, but we have a solution.

Samsung blacklisted other assistant apps from being able to be used by the button. That includes Amazon Alexa and Microsoft Cortana along with Google Assistant. We were able to get around this by using a Tasker script and exporting it as an APK. This means all you need to do is install the app, select it in the settings, and choose Google when you press the button.

This app also supports more than just Google Assistant. We were able to also launch the Cortana app, but it doesn’t work with Amazon Alexa. In theory, any app that supports answering voice commands can be remapped to the button with this method. Any phone that supports Bixby button remapping, including the Galaxy S10/S10+/S10e, Galaxy S9/S9+,  and the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Note 8 will support using Assistant.

How to install Bixby Button Assistant Remapper:

  1. Download the Bixby Button Assistant Remapper APK
  2. Install the app
  3. Open Bixby Voice Settings
  4. Select Bixby key
  5. Choose Double press to open Bixby
  6. Select Use single press
  7. Toggle it on and tap the gear icon to choose an app
  8. Find Bixby Button Assistant Remapper and select it
  9. Press the physical Bixby button and select the assistant app you want to use (click always so it doesn’t ask every time)
  10. That’s it!

It’s nice that Samsung is finally letting users remap the button to something else. While you can’t fully disable Bixby, you can relegate it to a double-press and put your preferred app to the forefront. Hopefully, Samsung doesn’t do anything in the future to break this workaround.

All Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+ units will come with a factory pre-installed screen protector

Just when you think you know everything about the Galaxy S10 devices, which were released just a few days ago, Samsung manages and puts out a new piece of information before they even go on sale. First was the camera cutout hiding feature, then Bixby remapping, and now it’s pre-applied screen protectors. During the release of the smartphones, many reviewers and future users had concerns about how the ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanner would function when you apply a screen protector. Apparently, Samsung has thought this through. They are now pre-applying a first-party screen protector on Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ devices.

The official notice from Samsung was first spotted by a Reddit user who posted a thread on the Samsung subreddit. In the statement, Samsung clarifies that the devices have a factory pre-installed screen protector. The decision was made to ensure screen durability and functionality of the in-display fingerprint scanner. It’s now much more important to keep the display free from defects with the in-display fingerprint scanner. The screen protector will be covered by a 90-day warranty.

Samsung will also sell these protectors on their website with the price tag of $29.99. Samsung recommends partner carriers and retail stores to sell them as replacement options. It’s worth noting that the Galaxy S10e does not have a screen protector pre-installed since it doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint scanner. We’re sure Samsung will be more than willing to sell you one.

Via: /r/Samsung Source: Samsung Members Community

Nokia 9, Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus forums are open

MWC unleashed a ton of new smartphones on the Android world. HMD Global was among the crowd with a slew of Nokia devices. The Nokia 9 PureView is the jewel of the bunch with its crazy-looking penta-camera setup. Not to be forgotten, HMD Global also announced three Android One phones: the Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus. Forums for all of these devices are open now.

The Nokia 9 PureView is one of HMD Global’s highest-end Nokia phones. The device features a 6-inch 1140×2880 OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 3,320 mAh battery, and a 20MP camera up front. The five rear cameras are all 12MP, two are RGB and three are monochrome. HMD Global is working with Light to do some fancy stuff with the cameras.

Nokia 9 PureView XDA Forum

The Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus are all running Android Pie. The Nokia 4.2 has a 5.7-inch display with a notch, Snapdragon 439 SoC, 2/3GB of RAM, 16/32GB of storage, dual rear cameras, and a 3,000 mAh battery. The Nokia 3.2 is the biggest with a 6.2-inch notched display, Snapdragon 429, 2/3GB of RAM, 16/32GB of storage, 13MP camera, and 4,000 mAh battery. Lastly, the Nokia 1 Plus has a 5.4-inch display, MediaTek MT6739WW SoC, 1GB of RAM, 8/16GB of storage, 8MP camera, and 2,500 mAh battery.

Nokia 4.2 XDA Forum Nokia 3.2 XDA Forum Nokia 1 Plus XDA Forum

If you’re interested in these phones and want to contribute to the community, check out the forum links listed above!

ASUS opens an Android Pie beta for the ZenFone Max Pro M1

Recently news has excited a lot of ASUS smartphone fans as the company announced their plan to upgrade devices to Android Pie. It was just this week when the company published a list of over a dozen different devices that they are currently planning to update. This seemed to be a long term plan as their announcement simply gave a vague date of 2019 for these updates. However, the company has gotten to the point where they are ready to announce the open beta Android Pie update for the ZenFone Max Pro M1.

The company’s ZenFone Max Pro series is quite popular among ASUS fans with the ZenFone M1 being released in May of last year. The ZB631KL variant of the ZenFone Max Pro series (also known as the ZenFone Max Pro M2) came out just a few months ago and ASUS has already begun its Android Pie open beta in India. In the list we published earlier this week, we saw both versions of the ZenFone Max Pro M2 (ZB631KL / ZB630KL) and ZenFone Max Pro M1 (ZB602KL) / ZB601KL).

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 XDA Forum

I enjoy seeing these OEMs reaching out to the community to help beta test new updates. Not only does it put less pressure on the QA department but it also allows the company to collect more data than they could collect in a short amount of time. This also helps to squash those nasty widespread bugs before the official update would begin to roll out. As mentioned, this is an open beta so all you have to do is opt into the program for a chance to try out the new software.

You’ll find the beta form in the source link below, but you must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

  • Owning a ZenFone Max Pro M1 is crucial
  • Willing to provide information including IMEI, Serial Number(SN), Current Firmware for the beta test setting
  • Be familiar with Android operating system
  • Be able to read and provide feedback in English
Source: ASUS

Unofficial LineageOS 15.1 is now available for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8

While most of the world can easily buy an Exynos version of Samsung devices, those of us in the United States and Canada have to find a reseller. Many people prefer the Exynos version of Samsung’s flagship smartphones because of how easy they allow the bootloader to be unlocked. This is normally where enthusiasts install TWRP and begin modding their device. Whether this means installing a custom ROM, kernel, gaining root access or more, having a device with an unlocked bootloader just makes most of this stuff easier. Those who have been wanting to try LineageOS 15.1 on their Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, or Samsung Galaxy Note 8 can now do so with an unofficial build from XDA Members Stricted and ivan_meler.

Samsung Galaxy S8 ForumsSamsung Galaxy S8+ ForumsSamsung Galaxy Note 8 Forums

These AOSP-based ROMs were made for Samsung devices with the model numbers SM-G950F/SM-G955F or SMN950F and almost everything works except for the fingerprint scanner right now. If you want a decent camera experience, we recommend you sideload a Google Camera port. We should note that all 3 of these devices have official Android Pie-based One UI releases available for them already. Thus, flashing LineageOS 15.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo will be a platform downgrade. However, it may still be worth it if you find One UI to be too cumbersome or slow and just want something a lot simpler and faster.

Download Unofficial LineageOS 15.1 for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+Download Unofficial LineageOS 15.1 for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Hands-on with the smallest 5G phone, the Nubia Mini 5G

One of the biggest challenges facing us today with 5G is the increased form factor that devices will have to take on. The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is an example of this, where the 5G edition is bigger because of the mmWave antennae and the bigger battery required to power 5G connectivity. The LG V50 5G and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G both also support it, though they’re still quite big devices. The Nubia Mini 5G was announced at the company’s press conference the other day, and it’s the world’s smallest 5G smartphone. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 paired with a Snapdragon X50 modem and 6GB of RAM.

Nubia Mini 5G

Early, early software

The Nubia Mini 5G is most notable for how early the software that’s installed on it is. It’s pretty much stock AOSP (including the default wallpaper), with some basic applications installed and not much else. Nubia is known for having a pretty heavily modified variant of Android, so the Nubia Mini 5G, right now, is a far cry from that. Obviously, that will change in the future as the company works on refining it for the market. This is a very early model and is more of a proof-of-concept than anything else.

There’s not much to actually show here, other than the fact this smartphone exists and does work. The software is incredibly barebones and it’s obvious that the company has somewhat rushed this out the door to show what they’re currently working on. That’s not really a bad thing, it’s just something to note that it will be a long time before this product is finished and readily available.

The Nubia Mini 5G is a smartphone that is really hard to get information about at the moment. The only information readily available is what was on display, which wasn’t much at all. It has a single 48MP Sony camera sensor on the back along with a fingerprint scanner and LED flash. It’s pretty barebones, but it’s already giving us an idea of what we can expect from future 5G smartphones. If anything, the Nubia Mini 5G shows us the start of the development process and what companies start working with once they have a prototype built.

Google’s App Security Improvement Program has helped catch vulnerabilities in over 1,000,000 apps

Security is a common concern when it comes to smartphones and it has always been especially important for Android. Google has done a lot over the years to change Android’s reputation and improve security. Monthly Android security patches are just one part of the puzzle. Five years ago, the company launched the Application Security Improvement Program. Today, they’re sharing some of the success they’ve had.

First, a little information on the program. When an app is submitted to the Play Store, it gets scanned to detect a variety of vulnerabilities. If something is found, the app gets flagged and the developer is notified (above). Diagnosis is provided to help get the app back in good standing. Over the five-year life of the program, Google has helped over 300,000 developers fix more than 1 million apps. Last year alone, the program helped developers fix over 75,000 apps.

So what types of vulnerabilities is the program trying to catch? The list is always growing as Google continues to monitor and improve the capabilities of the program. In 2018, they added six new vulnerability classes:

  1. SQL Injection
  2. File-based Cross-Site Scripting
  3. Cross-App Scripting
  4. Leaked Third-Party Credentials
  5. Scheme Hijacking
  6. JavaScript Interface Injection

Google understands that developers can make mistakes sometimes and they hope to help catch those issues for years to come. Security will continue to be a big talking point as technology evolves. It’s important for users to be able to trust the apps on their phones.

Samsung won’t let you remap the Bixby button to Google Assistant, but there’s a workaround

The Samsung Galaxy S10 line of devices haven’t even been released yet, but they are already receiving updates. Actually, the first update was released just yesterday. It adds the option to remap the Bixby button on the Samsung Galaxy S10+. We already knew this feature was coming, as it was widely noticed on the pre-release devices. We also know that the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+, Galaxy S9/S9+, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Note 8, and remaining S10 series of devices will receive the update, too. Some reviewers already received the update and got a chance to test it out. Until today, we thought that you could remap the Bixby button to launch any application you want, as it lets you select an app from your app drawer. Apparently, this is not the case.

Senior editor of The Verge, Dan Seifert, noticed that Samsung won’t let you remap the Bixby button to open Google Assistant. Dan confirmed that he even has the dedicated Google Assistant application installed, which can be found in his app drawer. Even so, neither single press nor dual press actions on the button can be remapped to point them to open the Google Assistant application. A little bit of digging from us also revealed that Samsung is blocking Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana applications, too. It is clear as water that they don’t want you to use their button for opening direct competing assistants.

The good news about all of this is there’s an easy workaround. By using the ever-useful app Tasker, you can create your own app that launches Google Assistant. This is very easy to set up, even if you’re not familiar with Tasker. Basically, you can create a Task that launches Assistant, then export that Task as an app so you can select it in the Bixby settings. We will have a step-by-step tutorial on this process soon.

Source: @dcseifert

[Update: Rolling out] Samsung Galaxy S9, Note 9, and other One UI devices will get Bixby remapping in an update

Update 2/28/19: Samsung has begun rolling out an update to the Bixby app that allows Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9/S9+, Galaxy Note 8, and Galaxy S8/S8+ owners to customize the Bixby button.

Samsung smartphones radiate its ingenuity and expertise in the area of hardware. While the same is not 100% true for its software, Samsung has been taking feedback from the consumers and has improved its software experience significantly with the new Android 9 Pie-based One UI. The company also appears to have heard some feedback about its smart assistant Bixby and the unbidden Bixby button on its flagships, which is why the newly launched Galaxy S10 comes with the ease of remapping the button to launch any other app.

It’s good news for those who’ll be buying the any one of the Galaxy S10 devices but Samsung has promised that the functionality will also come to older flagships. Samsung has now confirmed that older Samsung flagships including the Galaxy S8/S8+, Galaxy S9/S9+, the Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy Note 9 will get the ability to remap the Bixby button to launch any other app.

Courtesy of The Verge

The ability to launch different apps using the Bixby button is currently limited to the Galaxy S10. Older devices are expected to receive the feature with a software update in the future, as per Samsung’s newsroom. The only prerequisite for the update is that your Samsung flagship must be running on the latest One UI. While the company has not revealed the exact waiting period before the update arrives on older devices, Samsung’s renewed enthusiasm for timely software updates makes us hope it wouldn’t be too long.

Currently, the button on the Galaxy S10 can be remapped to open any specific app or trigger a Quick Command – or a series of actions. You can choose to launch an app by either a single tap or a double tap on the button. The option other than the one you choose will be automatically allocated to Bixby.

bixby button

For instance, if you choose to launch YouTube or WhatsApp with a single press of the Bixby button, the double press will automatically be assigned to launching Bixby. Moreover, long-pressing on the button will always launch Bixby.

While we’re yet to learn if you must keep Bixby enabled to keep the button working, it seems like you can learn to avoid Bixby if not dispatch it from your life completely.

Update: Bixby app update

As reported in the original article, users have two options: single press and double press. One of those must be mapped to Bixby. The other one can be a 3rd-party app. Open the Bixby app and go to Settings > Advanced features > Bixby key.

Via: The Verge
Source: Samsung
Update Source: SamMobile

Download the live wallpapers from the Sony Xperia 10 and 10 Plus

The Sony Xperia 10 and the Sony Xperia 10 Plus have just recently been announced, and they’re among the bigger surprises from MWC 2019. Both devices are very much unlike anything we’ve seen before from Sony, or any other company for that matter. 21:9 ultra-tall displays are present here as Sony managed to remove the bottom bezel nearly entirely, leaving a top bezel which houses the camera, the earpiece, and other sensors. For all other intents and purposes, though, we’re talking about midrange devices powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 and 636 respectively.

Both devices offer some really cool-looking live wallpapers, and thanks to XDA Senior Member Mazellat, you can install them and test them out on any Android 8.0+ device, Sony or not. Check them out now! (We inspected the APK shared by the forum member to make sure there are no shady permissions being requested, by the way.)

Download Sony Xperia 10/10 Plus Live Wallpapers

Hands-on with the Sony Xperia 10 and the Sony Xperia 10 Plus

Sony’s devices generally arrive without much fanfare. They’re typically just your average phone that works decently, without any crazy changes or features. The latest mid-range smartphones from Sony tell a different story, however, as there is one major change. These smartphones have a 21:9 aspect ratio, and if that seems tall, that’s because it is.

Sony Xperia 10 XDA Forum Sony Xperia 10 Plus XDA Forum

Sony Xperia 10 Plus

The Sony Xperia 10 Plus is a lot more practical than it looks

My first worry, when it came to this particular device, was, obviously, the height. I’m sure everybody worried about its height. Sony is aware that they have created a smartphone with a tall form-factor, and the first step they take to mitigating that is the introduction of a system-wide one-handed mode. It works exactly like the implementation of similar features on other smartphones. The whole display gets miniaturized into one corner on the bottom left or the bottom right, and you tap in the exclusion zone to switch it back off.

And that’s not all that Sony has that makes the really tall display practical. Sony recommends the use of multi-window in landscape mode so that you can make the most of the display size. It’s nothing hugely special, but it shows that the company is aware that there may be issues with this particular form factor. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, as Sony’s latest smartphones are even more examples of experimentation at this year’s Mobile World Congress. From Huawei to Samsung to Nokia to even newer brands like F(x), there’s something new and different at every corner.

All in all, the Sony Xperia 10 Plus is very usable, a lot more than it may seem at first look. Honestly, the height of this device isn’t an issue (at least in my short time with it), and if you can use other flagships like even the 19.5:9 OnePlus 6T, then you’ll be just fine. It’s only just a small bit taller, and unlikely to be the difference between one-handed usage and two-handed usage. That’s without even getting into media consumption, where 21:9 is close to the cinematic content standard.

Design of the Sony Xperia 10 Plus

The Sony Xperia 10 and the Sony Xperia 10 Plus are carbon copies of each other, they’re just different sizes. They have the same camera layout on the back, the same top bezel on the front, and same port layout around the chassis. For all intents and purposes, these are, more or less, the same devices. Think the compact and full versions of Sony’s old flagship devices. That’s all these are, and they’re designed well. There’s a couple of specification differences, but none all too huge. The only thing I dislike is that they are nearly uncomfortable to hold in the hand given how thin and flat they are. It’s not really a slight against the phones either, it’s just personal preference for the most part. To me, it feels like a somewhat unnatural way to hold a phone, but to you, it may be fine.

The side buttons include a fingerprint sensor on the right-hand side, something that may be annoying to those who are left-handed. The volume rocker is found below the fingerprint sensor, while the power button is above it. It would be nice to have the fingerprint sensor on the power button, but it’s not a big deal. The positioning still makes sense and feels natural, and that’s what matters the most when it comes to the design.

For better or worse, augmented reality is here

As previously mentioned, Sony has added a number of small features to accompany the tall 21:9 display. Other than that, it’s more or less the same software suite we’ve come to expect from Sony. It’s very close to stock Android with some UI changes and additional functionality. The cameras are decent as well, with an augmented reality mode that was kind of weird but definitely funny to play around with.

The camera application itself is pretty nice, although very run of the mill. It’s got all of the basic functions that you’ve come to expect from your smartphone – a pro mode, resolution, slow motion, all of that stuff. You can take 21:9 photos if you want as well, though it’s a non-standard aspect ratio and not something that you’ll really get anywhere else.

The Sony Xperia 10 Plus and the Sony Xperia 10 are great devices, though the pricing may be too steep for international readers. Both devices come in at $430 and $350 respectively, high prices for mid-range Snapdragon chipsets. Sony has made some very interesting devices, though most of their charm comes from the unique aspect ratio.

Xiaomi launches the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro in India, starting at ₹9,999 and ₹13,999

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note lineup is one of the most successful budget and early-mid range smartphone lineup that has gone on sale in India in recent years. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 was widely praised for its insane performance-to-price ratio, and its successors like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and onwards received praise for providing a really good value product that offered the performance as well as the efficiency that sufficed the needs of the average consumer. Today, at an event in New Delhi, Xiaomi has launched the newest members of the Redmi Note lineup. Meet the Redmi Note 7 (India) and the Redmi Note 7 Pro.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 in Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Onyx Black

Redmi Note 7 (India) and Redmi Note 7 Pro Specifications

Specifications Redmi Note 7 (India) Redmi Note 7 Pro
Dimensions 159.2 x 75.2 x 8.1mm 159.2 x 75.2 x 8.1mm
Display 6.3″ FHD+ (2340 x 1080) LTPS LCD; 19.5:9
Corning Gorilla Glass 5		 6.3″ FHD+ (2340 x 1080) LTPS LCD; 19.5:9
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 660:
8x Kryo 260 @2.2GHz		 Qualcomm Snapdragon 675:
8x Kryo 460 @2.0GHz
RAM and Storage 3GB + 32GB;
4GB + 64GB;
MicroSD expandability through Hybrid SIM2 slot		 4GB + 64GB;
6GB + 128GB;
MicroSD expandability through Hybrid SIM2 slot
USB Type-C Type-C
Battery 4,000 mAh with 18W (9V/2A) fast charging, Qualcomm Quick Charge 4
(10W charger included)		 4,000 mAh with 18W (9V/2A) fast charging, Qualcomm Quick Charge 4
(10W charger included)
3.5mm Headphone Jack Yes Yes
IR Blaster Yes Yes
Rear Camera 12MP, f/2.2 +
2MP, depth sensor		 48MP, f/1.8, Sony IMX586 +
5MP depth sensor
Front Camera 13MP 13MP
Android Version MIUI 10 on top of Android 9 Pie MIUI 10 on top of Android 9 Pie
Pricing 3GB + 32GB: ₹9,999
4GB + 64GB: ₹11,999		 4GB + 64GB: ₹13,999
6GB + 128GB: ₹16,999
Availability 6th March 2019 onwards 13th March 2019 onwards

Xiaomi managed to bamboozle a lot of people who incorrectly interpreted leaks. Our own article interpreted past leaks as being indicative of Xiaomi’s attempt at rebranding the device and passing off the Redmi Note 7 (China) with the 48MP Samsung sensor as being the Redmi Note 7 Pro (India), since the Redmi Note 7 Pro (China) with the 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor had not yet launched in China. Xiaomi surprised us and a lot of others by using this event to globally launch the Redmi Note 7 Pro with the 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor. There is still a difference between the Redmi Note 7 (China) and Note 7 (India), mainly with its rear camera sensor.

The new Redmi Note 7 (India) and Redmi Note 7 Pro sport a glass sandwich design with a plastic mid-frame, with the Note 7 Pro also coming in with a gradient color look which adds up towards the premium feel of the device. Xiaomi made a lot of claims regarding the durability of the phone, but the phone did not pass JerryRigEverything’s durability test, so that’s that. In our brief hands-on with the device, we found the devices to be as solidly built as previous Xiaomi devices, with no apparent fault areas immediately noticeable. The phone should be able to hold its own through everyday use, but breaking walnuts with phones is not something we recommend.

Despite all the #48MP hype, Xiaomi is only equipping one device with a 48MP sensor. The Redmi Note 7 (India) comes with a 12MP primary sensor at the back, instead. Xiaomi is really banking on the Sony IMX586 to pull up the camera prowess on the Redmi Note series. The sample shots that Xiaomi shared showed good details, but were routinely overexposed. While we do agree that the camera is good, especially for this price point, the 48MP camera may not be as great as Xiaomi is making it out to be.

In addition to this, the processor on the devices are also different; and since both are decently capable SoCs, most of Xiaomi’s target audience is unlikely to spot any difference in performance. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 on the Redmi Note 7 Pro looks very promising to us, reminiscent of the Snapdragon 650 on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, and we certainly look forward to testing this processor more thoroughly.

Availability

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (India) is priced at ₹9,999 for the 3GB + 32GB variant, and ₹11,999 for the 4GB + 64GB variant. The phone is available in Onyx Black, Sapphire Blue and Ruby Red colors. The device will be available from 6th March 2019, 12PM IST through mi.com, Flipkart and Mi Home stores.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is priced at ₹13,999 for the 4GB + 64GB variant, and ₹16,999 for the 6GB + 128GB variant. The phone is available in Space Black, Nebula Red and Neptune Blue colors. The device will be available from 13th march 2019, 12PM IST through mi.com, Flipkart and Mi Home store.

We are very happy with the pricing on the newly launched Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro. It will be very difficult for the competition to respond to this pricing, and since the devices look very promising, Xiaomi can look forward to another successful year in India.

What are your thoughts on Xiaomi’s latest release in India? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Samsung launches the Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30, and Galaxy A50 in India

After announcing the Galaxy A30 and the Galaxy A50 at Mobile World Congress, Samsung has now officially brought both phones to India. The company also launched the entry-level Galaxy A10, which hadn’t been announced before. All three phones have Infinity notched displays (Infinity-V or Infinity-U). In terms of hierarchy, the Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 slots in above the Galaxy M30, while the Galaxy A10 is only slightly more expensive than the Galaxy M10, which means it’s cheaper than both the Galaxy M20 and the Galaxy M30. The specifications of all three phones are noted below:

Specification Samsung Galaxy A10 Samsung Galaxy A30 Samsung Galaxy A50
Design Plastic 3D Glasstic 3D Glasstic
Colors Black, Blue, Red Black, Blue, Red Black, White, Blue
Display 6.2-inch; HD+ 720 x 1520, 19:9, IPS LCD 6.4-inch; FHD+ 1080 x 2340, 19.5:9, Super AMOLED 6.4-inch; FHD+ 1080 x 2340, 19.5:9, Super AMOLED
Infinity Display Infinity-V Infinity-U Infinity-U
Dimensions 155.6 x 75.6 x 7.94 mm 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7 mm 158.5 x 74.7 x 7.7 mm
SoC Exynos 7884B
Octa-core @ 1.6GHz		 Exynos 7904
2x Arm Cortex-A73 cores @ 1.8GHz + 6x Arm Cortex-A53  cores 1.6GHz		 Exynos 9610
4x Arm Cortex-A73 cores @ 2.3GHz + 4x Arm Cortex-A53 cores @ 1.7GHz
RAM and Storage 3GB + 32GB 3GB + 32GB;
4GB + 64GB		 4GB + 64GB;
6GB + 128GB
Expandable Storage Up to 512GB Up to 512GB Up to 512GB
USB microUSB Type-C Type-C
Battery and Charging 4,000mAh
5W Charging		 4,000 mAh
15W Fast Charging		 4,000 mAh
15W Fast Charging
Fingerprint Sensor Not present Rear On-screen
Rear Camera 13MP, f/1.9 16MP, f/1.7 +
5MP, f/2.2, ultra wide		 25MP, f/1.7 +
5MP, f/2.2, fixed focus for depth sensing +
8MP, f/2.4, ultra wide, fixed focus
Front Camera 5MP, f/2.0, fixed focus 16MP, f/2.0, fixed focus 25MP, f/2.0, fixed focus

The Galaxy A10 is the cheapest Galaxy A-series phone Samsung has launched so far. In order to move to a lower price point, Samsung has cut corners with biometrics (there is no fingerprint sensor on the device), charging port (microUSB vs. USB Type-C), charging (5W vs. 15W), SoC (Exynos 7884B vs. Exynos 7904 on the M20 and M30), RAM and storage configuration, rear camera, and front camera.

In terms of competition, the Galaxy A10 competes with the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1, Asus ZenFone Max M2, Xiaomi Redmi Y2, Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro, the upcoming Realme 3, and a few other phones.

The Galaxy A30 steps up to the Exynos 7904 SoC, which also powers the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M30. It has a higher-resolution display, more RAM and storage, a USB Type-C port, 15W fast charging, dual rear cameras incluing an ultra wide angle 5MP camera, and a higher-resolution front camera. It has a rear fingerprint sensor.

The Galaxy A50 has the best specifications of the three. It moves to a Super AMOLED Infinity-U display, same as the Galaxy M30. It’s powered by the Exynos 9610 SoC, which was announced in March last year. Unfortunately, the Exynos 9610 falls behind newer SoCs such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675, which powers the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro.

It also has a triple rear camera setup, with a tertiary 5MP depth sensor. The depth sensor enables Samsung’s Live Focus hardware-level portrait mode. The camera also features AI Camera with Scene Optimizer to recognize and optimize 20 scenes, and Flaw Detection to recognize missteps in photos with the help of AI. The front camera can also do background blur with the help of Selfie Focus.

In terms of security, the Galaxy A50 is the first Galaxy A-series phone to feature an on-screen fingerprint sensor. We are assuming that this is an optical sensor. All three phones have Samsung’s software-based face unlock.

In terms of software, all three phones are notable for being powered by Android Pie-based One UI out of the box.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy A10 costs ₹8,490 ($119) in India for the single 3GB RAM/32GB storage variant. The Galaxy A30 will be available for ₹16,990 ($239) for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant. Finally, the Galaxy A50’s price has been set at ₹19,990 ($281) for the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant, and at ₹22,990 ($323) for the 6GB RAM/64GB storage variant.

The Galaxy A30 and the Galaxy A50 will go on sale starting March 2, while the Galaxy A10 will be available from March 20.

In terms of value propositions, Samsung’s new A-series phones are a marked improvement over past efforts. However, there is still quite a way to go before Samsung catches up with the likes of Xiaomi, particularly in areas such as the SoC, where the company is significantly behind.

Let us know your thoughts regarding the three Galaxy A-series phones in the comments below.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Going back and forward in Google Chrome will get a lot faster with bfcache

Google Chrome is the world’s most popular web browser, both on mobile and on the desktop. Over the years, it has faced its fair share of criticism for being more memory-intensive than it needs to be and getting bloated in terms of size and features, but it has also received praise for its real-world speed and usability. Now, Google has announced that it is working on a new feature to improve back-forward navigation in the web browser, using bfcache (backward-forward cache).

Google states that a back/forward cache (bfcache) caches whole pages, including the JavaScript heap, when navigating away from a page. This is done so that the full state of the page can be restored when the user navigates back. The company gives an analogy of pausing a page when the user leaves it and playing it when the user returns. It will work when navigating back as well as when navigating forward to a previously accessed page.

Google notes that this feature won’t help when visiting new websites. That doesn’t mean it won’t be useful, though. According to the company, going back accounts for 19% of pages viewed on Google Chrome for Android and 10% on Chrome for PC. bfcache will make that navigation “extremely fast,” according to Google. It’s definitely not a trivial endeavor to implement, the company notes.

Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari have subtly different implementations of this caching technology, Google notes. Chrome, however, is opting not to use WebKit’s implementation of bfcache due to incompatibility with Chrome’s multi-process architecture.

Addy Osmani, an engineering manager on the Chrome team, told CNET that the tricky part for Chrome is rewriting some parts of the browser to protect privacy and security. Google’s web browser has to make sure that it stops web-based JavaScript programs from running even though it’s hanging on to them in memory. He acknowledged that running JavaScript on pages which are not there from a user’s perspective is “a big potential privacy problem,” and therefore, the company is going to change Chrome’s architecture to ensure that the privacy problem won’t occur.

The downside? bfcache won’t be available on Chrome anytime soon. Google hopes to test bfcache in 2019 and build it into Chrome in 2020, according to Mr. Osmani.

Another constraint is that saving the state of web pages for possible later use will consume memory, which is already one of the major issues that Chrome faces. Mr. Osmani stated that Google is still trying to figure out the best rules for deciding which pages to keep around when to dump them from memory. He also said that the feature could help with other situations, such as better performance for tabs that need to be paused while they are on the background, particularly on mobile. Such a situation usually leads to saved memory, but it also has a major downside as pages have to be reloaded after returning to them.

bfcache on Chrome definitely sounds promising, but it’s in the early stages so far. We expect to learn more it in the coming months.

Source: GoogleVia: CNET

Nokia 9, Nokia 4.2, and Nokia 3.2 will support software-based face unlock

Software-based face unlock has become an increasingly popular feature in Android smartphones over the last year. OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, LG, and others all have their own version of software-based face unlock. It’s important to note that software-based face unlock is fundamentally different from 3D facial recognition. Software-based face unlock is 2D and relies on the front camera of a phone, and it can’t be used for secure purposes such as making payments. 3D facial recognition, on the other hand, generates a 3D depth map using components such as a dot projector, IR camera, and a flood illuminator (as seen on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition, and a few more phones). 3D facial recognition is a lot more secure and it can be used for secure purposes, but the downside is that it requires dedicated hardware on the front of the phone, which typically results in a wide display notch.

Up until now, HMD Global didn’t have any form of software-based face unlock apart from Google’s old Trusted Face, which is extremely old and insecure at this point. (It’s so old and insecure that even Google doesn’t include in the Pixel 3‘s software.) In June, HMD Global stated that face unlock would be rolled out as an update to some of their phones, but as the months went by, there was no public progress on this aspect. Now, the company has selected Sensory to power the face unlock which is available on the newly launched Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 4.2, and Nokia 3.2.

Sensory is the company behind TrulySecure, an on-device facial recognition system that is already found in smartphones from a few brands. The company deals with speech and vision technologies. It has now integrated TrulySecure facial recognition into the Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 4.2, and Nokia 3.2.

According to Sensory, TrulySecuire is a FIDO Certified biometric authentication that “quickly, conveniently and securely recognizes enrolled users via powerful face biometric recognition technologies.” It’s said to feature the latest in Sensory’s embedded AI tech, and it can identify and authenticate enrolled users in less than a second. Accuracy rate is said to be 99.999%. It’s also said to have “industry-leading on-device liveness detection and anti-spoofing algorithms.” According to the company, TrulySecure makes it “nearly impossible” for an imposter to gain access to a protected device or app.

Sensory also notes that TrulySecure runs completely on device, unlike some competing facial recognition technologies. It’s said to store biometric profiles as highly encrypted irreversible code, and it never sends biometric data over the internet. It should be noted here that TrulySecure won’t allow users of these Nokia phones to make payments with facial recognition.

As of now, only three of HMD Global’s newest phones are confirmed to have TrulySecure facial recognition. Going forward, we expect the company’s new phone releases to feature the technology. If the facial recognition tech works as advertised, it will be a plus point for its phones.

MIUI 10 Global Beta 9.2.28 will add a “Game Booster” feature to Xiaomi phones

The Xiaomi Mi 9 was announced just a week ago, right before Mobile World Congress. The device is one of the first to feature Qualcomm’s first 7nm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform. The phone launched with Android 9 Pie-based MIUI 10.2 which includes a few new MIUI features like a dark mode, dynamic wallpaper, Reading Mode 2.0, Sunlight Mode 2.0, and Game Turbo. Game Turbo “predicts gaming scenes and intelligently allocates resources for complicated scenes,” which we assume will help users get the best performance in games like PUBG Mobile. Not to leave other Xiaomi devices out, it sounds like a similar feature will be making its way to a lot of other Xiaomi devices in the next MIUI 10 Global Beta.

An administrator of the official MIUI forum announced today that the next beta update, MIUI 10 Global Beta 9.2.28, will include a “Game Booster” feature (which sounds like the Xiaomi Mi 9’s Game Turbo). Here is the partial changelog that was shared:

Desktop:
Fixed: Notification badges were displayed incorrectly on the WhatsApp icon.

Game Booster:
Added: experience optimization function, supports to enter the game to turn off automatic brightness, three finger screenshot, eye protection mode.
Optimize the game toolbox callout mode to adjust to the top side.

From the changelog, it sounds like the feature will provide a helpful way to tune some settings without leaving a game (automatic brightness and night mode. It’ll also let you take a screenshot without moving your fingers away from the screen. We aren’t sure exactly how Game Booster will optimize the device as it claims, though. This update will begin rolling out tomorrow. Once it does, we’ll let you know which devices it rolls out for and what the full changelog will be.

Source: Mi forums