Monday, December 3, 2018

Huawei opens a Vulnerability Reward Program with a max payout of ~$143,000

Huawei vulnerability reward program opened

Mobile security is important for a number of reasons, no less because most of our personal lives now reside on our smartphones. From photographs to social media, anybody with malicious access to your device could, in theory, cause a number of problems in your life. That’s why it’s important to make sure you have the latest security patches and to be sure not to install anything that could steal your data or damage your phone. While some vulnerabilities are in AOSP, some vulnerabilities may be in the custom software used by device OEMs like EMUI. As such, Huwaei has opened up the vulnerability reward program in partnership with 360 Mobile Security that has a maximum payout of 1RMB (roughly $143,000) should it be deemed serious enough once reported.

The partnership was announced at Huawei’s terminal security award program conference and is open to all invited security researchers. Zhou Mingjian, head of the 360 Mobile Security C0RE team, said that vendor drivers account for 90% of all vulnerabilities found in Android devices. He also said that the 360 C0RE team was responsible for the finding of 138 Android vulnerabilities in the past two years, a little more than 12% of all vulnerabilities found in that timeframe.

It’s a shame that the reward program is not open to any developer out there, but it’s a start and is a similar approach to what many other companies in the world have done in the past. While it’s not in the best interests of the development community, a bug bounty reward program often offers an incentive to developers to release their exploits to the company involved rather than the developer community, thanks to monetary gain. Obviously, it’s also generally better for consumers as it means vulnerabilities get patched as well. It’s unknown if Huawei intends to expand the program, or if they will announce it in the west or not.

Note: Huawei has stopped providing bootloader unlock codes for their devices. Therefore, the bootloader of their phones cannot be unlocked, which means that users cannot root or install custom ROMs.

Via: MyDriversVia 2: China Knowledge

Razer Phone 2 kernel source code and factory images now available

Razer Phone 2 factory images kernel source

The Razer Phone 2 launched back in October along with a few cool Razer-branded accessories. It’s a gaming phone primarily and it features a 120Hz display and the latest and greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip. Thanks to its sheer power, it can be fun for developers who may want to toy with it, and Razer as a company has been rather open to development. The Razer Phone 2 can be bootloader unlocked, but if you’re not careful, you can render it unbootable. Thankfully, Razer has released not only factory images so that you can recover your device if you mess anything up, but they’ve released the kernel source code as well so developers can start making custom recoveries, kernels, and ROMs for the Razer Phone 2.

Razer Phone 2 factory images Razer Phone 2 kernel source

Factory images are extremely important for anybody tinkering with their device, and they’re often hard to come by. Very few companies actually release their full factory images, with OnePlus and Google being among the OEMs that do. Most factory images you see on our forums are actually downloaded by intercepting a firmware update and are not officially released by the company. Seeing Razer commit to supporting the development community is great as it gives developers a lot more leeway in what they can and can’t do without permanently bricking their smartphone.

As for kernel sources, companies are obliged to release them under the GPLv2, though some have a long history of not doing so. Seeing Razer avoid that pitfall is even better, and it also opens up the door for a huge amount of custom development. Without kernel sources, it can be near impossible to create a custom recovery, custom kernel, or even a custom ROM. The previous Razer Phone gained a decent amount of developer attention, and with both devices supporting Project Treble, there’s really nothing stopping you giving a custom ROM a try anyway. If you’re interested in keeping up with development, you can check out our Razer Phone 2 forums below.

Razer Phone 2 XDA Forum

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus renders show off Infinity O display and triple rear cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S10 and the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus are expected to be announced at MWC 2019 in February. While the event is still some months away, the trickle of leaks of rumors began as early as May of this year with the first pieces of information being about the in-display fingerprint scanner. This was followed by rumors that the devices will get rid of the iris scanner, have triple rear cameras, an Exynos 9820 SoC, come in a 5G model and more.

Now, 91mobiles in collaboration with reputed leaker @OnLeaks have shared device renders of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, along with details of several key specifications.

According to the aforementioned sources, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus will come with a 6.4″ QHD dual-curved AMOLED display. The S10 Plus will have a nearly bezel-less display and one of the highest screen-to-body ratios of any phone in the market, thanks to the new Infinity O design that Samsung will adopt for placing the dual front cameras. What makes this display even more interesting is Samsung’s odd decision to position the display hole off-centre, towards the right corner.

The back of the device sports triple rear cameras (a standard lens, a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens) and an LED flash in a horizontal setup. Notably missing from the back is the fingerprint sensor, which is not visible anywhere in fact. This is because the device comes with an in-display ultrasonic sensor, touted to be quicker and more accurate than the current generation optical in-display fingerprint sensors. Samsung is also expected to ditch the iris scanner and make use of a new version of face unlock instead.

Samsung isn’t changing everything though, as the trusty and conventional 3.5mm headphone jack finds its place on the bottom of the device. There’s also a USB Type-C port and a dedicated Bixby button.

On the inside, the Galaxy S10 Plus is expected to be powered by the latest Exynos 9820 SoC globally, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 SoC in USA. Unconfirmed rumors point to variants with 12GB RAM and 1TB storage, though we will very likely see lower RAM and storage options as well. The phone will launch with Android Pie, with Samsung One UI on top.

Samsung clearly wants to hold back no punches in 2019, and current leaks and rumors point towards the Galaxy S10 Plus becoming Samsung’s best flagship yet. What remains to be seen if the device becomes another $1,000 flagship, or if it manages to hover closer to its current pricing.

Source: 91Mobiles

Previous coverage of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus:

Here’s everything we know about the Motorola Moto G7 Plus

Motorola Moto G7 Plus

Motorola’s highest-end G7 device, the Motorola Moto G7 Plus, should launch sometime in the first half of 2019. Like its weaker siblings, the Moto G7 Plus has already appeared on the FCC, revealing some of its specifications. A possible press render for the device has also shown up online. Now, we are able to share some of the specifications and camera features for the device. Here’s what we know (so far) about the upcoming Motorola Moto G7 Plus.

Rumored Motorola Moto G7 Plus Design

The graphics shown below were pulled from the device’s FCC filing. Our source tells us that the Moto G7 Plus’ code-name is “lake” and that it has a model number of either XT1965-2 or XT1965-3, matching the FCC filing. Furthermore, the IMEIs submitted to the FCC confirm that those model numbers belong to a device with a code-name of “lake,” according to IMEI databases. Thus, we are confident that the FCC filings that have previously been reported to belong to the regular Moto G7, in fact, belong to the Moto G7 Plus.

Unlike the Motorola Moto G7 Play or Motorola Moto G7 Power, the Moto G7 Plus will have dual rear cameras. The device measures 156.86mm by 75.4mm, but the thickness of the device is unknown. The fingerprint scanner is likely embedded in the Motorola logo on the back.

Motorola Moto G7 Plus Motorola Moto G7 Plus

Perhaps a sign that the Moto G7 Plus’ launch is closer than we thought, a press render of the device has already shown up online. The render comes from a website called Mr. Gizmo that is run by an anonymous leaker, so take the render with a grain of salt. I do know that the Moto G7 Plus will have a rather small notch, so the teardrop notch design shown in the render is plausible. The camera module matches the graphic submitted to the FCC, too.

Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Alleged Motorola Moto G7 Plus Press Render. Source: Mr. Gizmo.

Rumored Motorola Moto G7 Plus Specifications

Unfortunately, since the FCC filing is for the Moto G7 Plus and not the Moto G7, that means there very likely won’t be a Moto G7 device with a better chipset than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 mobile platform. Evidence for the device’s use of the Snapdragon 660 exists in both the FCC filing (below, first image from the left) as well as publicly available kernel source code for an existing Motorola device with the same mobile platform. The FCC filing reveals at least one device configuration, a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model (below, second image from the left). The filing also mentions an Amperex battery with model name JG40 (below, third image from the left), revealed to have a nominal battery capacity of 2,820mAh (via TigerMobiles.) It’s unclear if this is what the battery capacity will be marketed as, since publicly available kernel source code for an existing Motorola device with the same mobile platform lists a battery capacity of 3,010mAh alongside the same JG40 model name. Compared to the Moto G6 Plus, the Moto G7 Plus’ mobile platform is a slight upgrade (the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 has 4 and 4 custom Kryo 260 CPU cores while the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 has 4 and 4 ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores) while the battery capacity is a slight downgrade.

Motorola Moto G7 Plus Motorola Moto G7 Plus Motorola Moto G7 Plus

The FCC filing also outlines the frequency band difference between the two SKUs: XT1965-2 for Brazil/Latin America and XT1965-3 for Western Europe, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand. Both SKUs support NFC, but LTE bands differ between the models.

Motorola Moto G7 Plus

According to our own source, the device, code-named “lake,” is expected to have a 6.24-inch FHD+ display, 4/6GB RAM, 64/128GB storage, dual rear cameras (16MP f/1.75 + 5MP f/2.25), single front-facing camera (12MP f/2.0), and Android 9 Pie. The colors that we currently know of include Indigo and Red, but there may be others. As for the camera features, Motorola is said to introduce a feature called “AI shot” (internally called “Smart Composition”) which is said to “automatically level and implement the rule of thirds.” Motorola will also be adding automatic smile detection to the camera app. Previous features such as Cinemagraphs, pro mode (with new features, though we don’t know what has been added), selective coloring, and time-lapse will make a return.

Lastly, there’s some evidence that points to the Moto G7 Plus having wireless charging support. We have found the name of a wireless charging module that may be included in the device as well as mentions of wireless charging from our source, but we can’t corroborate this finding with the FCC filing. A Motorola-branded wireless charger was recently certified by the Wireless Power Consortium and the alleged Moto G7 Plus render shows off a glass back, so wireless charging support is a possibility. We’ll let you know if we uncover more evidence, however.

Motorola Moto G7 Plus Wireless Charger

That’s all we know so far about the upcoming Motorola Moto G7 Plus. We’re still at least a few months away from launch, but I don’t think we’ll have to wait until April for the launch like with the Moto G6 Plus. The device has already passed through the FCC and a press render has already appeared online, so I wouldn’t be surprised by an early 2019 launch. If we learn more about the Moto G7 Plus or any of its siblings, we’ll let you know. If you want to read our previous articles on the Motorola Moto G7 line-up, here are some relevant links:

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Motorola Moto G7 Play: What we know about its Design and Specifications

Motorola Moto G7 Play

When looking at the latest Motorola Moto G line of smartphones, it’s hard to see why an American, European, or Indian consumer would buy a Moto G when there are superior mid-range options. Motorola has lost a lot of their market share because of increasing competition in these regions, but the company still does exceptionally well in Latin American countries like Brazil where their variety of budget Moto E and mid-range Moto G devices offer a unique experience at different price points. In 2019, we’re expecting to see 4 new Moto G smartphones: the Motorola Moto G7, Motorola Moto G7 Plus, Motorola Moto G7 Power, and Motorola Moto G7 Play.

We’ve caught a brief glimpse of the Moto G7 Power and some of its specifications, but the Moto G7 Play also recently popped up online. There’s a lot of pictures of the Moto G7 Play in the FCC filing, but we also have some rumored specifications of our own to better detail the device before its launch. Here’s what we know so far about the Motorola Moto G7 Play.

Motorola Moto G7 Play Design

According to the pictures submitted to the FCC, the device will come in two colors: Black and a Silverish-Blue color (I’m not sure of the exact marketing name here.) On the rear, there are a single camera lens and an LED flash. Below the camera cutout, there’s a fingerprint scanner. The device seems to slightly curve at the edges to make it easier to hold. The device measures about 145mm by 70mm.

Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play

Next, here are some photographs showing the rest of the Motorola Moto G7 Play. On the front, we can see there’s a rather large display notch that houses the single front-facing camera, an LED flash, and a speaker. It’s difficult to tell the exact size of the display since the display isn’t turned on in any of the pictures, but there’s a seemingly large bottom bezel that’ll reduce the screen-to-body ratio considerably. On the bottom, you will find the USB Type-C port and a microphone. On the top, you’ll find the 3.5mm headphone jack. On the left, you’ll find the SIM card tray (either dual SIM or single SIM + microSD Card slot). On the right, you’ll find the volume and power buttons.

Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play

Rumored Motorola Moto G7 Play Specifications

The FCC filing also reveals some of the device’s specifications. One of the photos shows that the Moto G7 Play will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 mobile platform while another reveals the Moto G7 Play’s 2,820mAh (minimum)/3,000mAh (typical) battery capacity. The Moto G7 Play’s 14nm SoC is a considerable upgrade over the Moto G6 Play’s 28nm SoC (the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430). However, the battery capacity is a significant downgrade from the Moto G6 Play’s 4,000mAh battery. It seems that, if you want a Moto G7 with a large battery, you’ll have to opt for the Moto G7 Power.

Motorola Moto G7 Play Motorola Moto G7 Play

The FCC filing reveals two SKUs: one for Brazil and Latin America and another for the rest of the world. There’s not much to say here since you’ll need to verify whether the LTE bands listed below are compatible with your mobile carrier’s network.

Motorola Moto G7 Play

According to our own source, we know that the device is code-named “channel.” The list of basic hardware and software specifications we were given may not reflect the final configurations of the device since the information we have is based on early development and may not be as up-to-date as the sealed information submitted to the FCC. The specifications that we have now seem to be nearly identical to that of the Moto G6 Play, so we’ll update you if things change.

For now, expect to see 2/3GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, a 5.69-inch HD+ display (the schematic shows a fairly large bottom bezel), a 12MP f/2.0 rear-facing camera, a 8MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, and Android 9 Pie. The camera features so far includes support for the Motorola Camera app’s pro mode, selective coloring, time-lapse, and a new single rear bokeh mode.

We’ll have a lot more information to share once we get closer to the device’s launch. Since the entire Motorola Moto G7 series has already passed through the FCC, we don’t think we’re that far off from the launch date. The Moto G7 Play will be the lowest-end model in the new Moto G7 series, so it should be a decent smartphone for those looking for a mid-range device while on a budget.

The 2017 Nubia Z17 flagship will not get an Android Pie update

The Nubia Z17 is a device with specifications including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile platform, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage and Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ support. These specifications may not seem mind-blowing in late 2018, but they definitely turned heads when the device launched in June more than a year ago.

The Nubia Z17 launched with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, with Nubia UI 5.0 on top. This was expected, as Android 8.0 Oreo was officially released by Google in August 2017, so the device couldn’t have released with a new Android version months before Google released it. Subsequently, Nubia updated the device to Android 8.1 Oreo, with Nubia UI 6.0 on top.

However, the Nubia team has now announced that the Nubia Z17 will not receive any further Android version upgrades. The development team over at Nubia (which is a smaller sub-brand within ZTE) needs to focus on other devices, thereby making it infeasible to continue working on the Z17. This applies to major Android version upgrades beyond Android 8.1, implying that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 flagship smartphone will not officially receive an Android 9 Pie upgrade, nor any other versions beyond that.

Development will still continue on the Nubia UI, so it is not all bad news. The team mentioned that the Nubia Z17 will receive further Nubia UI updates, though no further information has been shared. There is also an unofficial Project Treble zip available for the device, which then allows you to flash any Android Pie GSI with no claimed bugs. So while Android Pie will not officially come to the device, it doesn’t mean that the device will die of software obsolescence anytime soon, which sums up Project Treble and its importance in the Android ecosystem and the fight against fragmentation.

Source: Nubia Forums Story Via: MyDrivers

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