Monday 31 August 2020

This could be our first look at the OnePlus 8T

The phone's tech specs, however, still remain a mystery.

What you need to know

  • A render of OnePlus' next flagship phone has been found in the latest Android 11 Developer Preview for the OnePlus 8 series.
  • The render suggests the OnePlus 8T will look just like the current OnePlus 8, at least from the front.
  • The OnePlus 8T is rumored to come with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 865+ chipset and a 64MP primary camera.

OnePlus' next flagship phones may not look very different from the company's current OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro models. A render of the upcoming OnePlus 8T has been found in the fourth Android 11 Developer Preview for the OnePlus 8 series.

The leaked render reveals the design of the upcoming OnePlus 8T from the front, which appears to be nearly identical to the current OnePlus 8. It features a tiny hole-punch cutout in the top-left corner of the display with slim bezels all around. OnePlus doesn't usually introduce major design changes with its T series flagships, so it isn't surprising that the OnePlus 8T looks fairly similar to its predecessor.

OnePlus' 8T series phones are expected to feature Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 865+ processor, paired with at least 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. In the camera department, the OnePlus 8T and 8T Pro phones are rumored to come equipped with 64MP primary sensors.

While there is no word yet on exactly when the OnePlus 8T series will be announced, we expect the duo to arrive sometime in the fourth quarter of the year. The OnePlus 7T series was launched in October last year, while the 6T and 5T series made their debut in November.

Get More OnePlus 8

OnePlus 8 & 8 Pro

OnePlus 8 from $699 OnePlus 8 Pro from $899



Motorola Razr 2: Everything we know right now (Update: New battery details)

Moto Razr foldable unfolded screen in hand 1

Update: September 1, 2020 (01:30 AM ET): We’ve updated our Motorola Razr 2 rumor hub to include new details of the foldable’s dimensions, weight, and battery size. Read on for more!


Original article: May 20, 2020 (10 AM ET): The Motorola Razr reboot captured the imagination of many consumers upon its unveiling last year. The phone was a modern, foldable take on the original Razr flip phone of the 2000s.

Unfortunately, the reboot didn’t enjoy a fantastic critical or commercial reception. That isn’t stopping the company from releasing a follow-up though. From specs and design to availability, here are all the major Motorola Razr 2 rumors in one place.

When is the Motorola Razr 2 launching?

We first got word of the new Razr in early June, when a Lenovo South Africa executive told the Reframed podcast that a “second-generation” Razr was coming. More specifically, the representative said the new foldable phone was supposed to launch around September.

On August 12, Motorola finally teased the Razr 2’s announcement date as September 9, 2020. While not mentioning the Razr by name, the virtual event will “flip the smartphone experience once again,” so it’s safe to assume the launch will include the company’s foldable successor.

Motorola Razr 2 design rumors

Moto Razr foldable half folded moto logo on table

The new foldable phone is expected to offer the same basic form factor as the previous model, so that means a clamshell design with a foldable internal screen and a smaller (non-folding) external display.

However, XDA-Developers reports that the screens will be the same size as the original phone’s displays. That means a 6.2-inch foldable display and a 2.7-inch external screen. Either way, the latter is shaping up to be bigger than the Galaxy Z Flip‘s tiny ticker display.

Meanwhile, display industry insider Ross Young tweeted that the Motorola Razr 2’s screens will both be bigger than the first-generation model. Check out the tweet below.

Nevertheless, here’s hoping the internal screen is more durable than the first Razr. We’d also like to see Motorola bring more features to the external display.

motorola moto razr 2020 odyssey leak

On July 27, leaker Evan Blass added an image to his Patreon detailing potential design tweaks on the upcoming foldable. Dubbed “Odyssey,” the foldable’s external screen remains but boasts a smaller chin with no visible signs of a fingerprint sensor.

Blass added a GIF to his Twitter account on August 22, showing off a 360 degree view of the Motorola Razr 2. You can check it out below.

The 360 view shows off the main display, the external screen, as well as the rear camera and what appears to be a fingerprint scanner embedded in the rear Moto logo. The latter would be a return to a years-long tradition for the brand, as it’s used a scanner embedded in the logo in quite a few phones before.

It seems the Razr 2 may be lighter than its predecessor judging by a leak from Ishan Agarwal. The tipster tweeted on August 31 that the Razr 2 may weigh in at 190g with dimensions listed as 168.5 x 72.5 x 8mm. As for the colorway, it will reportedly bear the name of Polished Graphite.

Motorola Razr 2 rumored specs

The original Razr offered an upper mid-range Snapdragon 710 chipset that was actually quite old by the time the phone went on sale. In fact, the processor first appeared in phones back in 2018 and was succeeded by the Snapdragon 730 series in mid-2019.

Now, this wouldn’t be a big deal if the Razr was reasonably priced for a foldable, but the phone was extremely expensive upon launch. So critics were understandably annoyed at this. Toss in 6GB of RAM, 128GB of non-expandable storage, a single 16MP main camera, 5MP selfie camera, and a tiny 2,510mAh battery, and you’ve got a phone that seems more like a mid-ranger at best.

XDA-Developers managed to obtain some Razr 2 specs though, and it seems like we’ve got a somewhat improved phone overall. The new device is said to offer a Snapdragon 765 chipset with 5G, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a still small 2,845mAh battery. Furthermore, it’s believed that we’ve got a 48MP main camera and a 20MP selfie shooter this time.

More specs leaked on July 2 via Evan Blass, which largely corroborates XDA-Developers‘ initial leak. Blass’ information includes mention of a Nano-SIM and eSIM combo, with a colorway dubbed Mercury Silver. Again, a 20MP selfie camera and 48MP primary camera are also listed.

Certification documents from TUV Rheinland (via MySmartPrice) on August 17 shed light on the possible battery configuration of the Razr 2. The listing suggests the phone could arrive in as many as four variants, but it’s not clear what differentiates these devices.

Ishan Agarwal’s August 31 leak also shed light on the Razr 2’s cameras, battery, and chipset. Agarwal corroborates earlier reports of the Razr 2’s 48MP rear camera and 20MP selfie camera, including the use of the Snapdragon 765G chipset. Notably, he does mention a larger battery in line with earlier reports, quoted as 2,800mAh.

What to expect in terms of pricing?

Moto Razr foldable folded sitting in box speaker

The original Razr launched at an eye-watering $1,500, which wasn’t great when you consider the actual spec sheet. Making matters worse was the fact that the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Z Flip seemed to offer better build quality too and overall specs too.

The high price may have contributed to disappointing sales, with Verizon offering a two-for-one Razr deal a couple of months after its initial release.

There’s no word on the Motorola Razr 2 price, but you can bet that the firm doesn’t want to have to resort to a two-for-one deal again in order to shift units. And with foldable phone production expected to drop in price over time, here’s hoping we see a price drop compared to the original Razr.

Availability is another big question mark, as the first model was released in Europe, India, the UK, and the US. Unfortunately, this was a carrier exclusive in the latter two markets (EE and Verizon respectively). There’s no official word on carrier exclusivity, but evidence shared by Evan Blass suggests the Razr 2 could also work with AT&T. It’s not clear if this means there will also be an unlocked model, but it would seem silly for Motorola to have two exclusive deals and not offer an unlocked option.


That’s it for our Motorola Razr 2 rumor rundown. Be sure to check back regularly as we update this page! In the meantime, you can check out more noteworthy articles below.



OnePlus 8T render surfaces; phone includes 5G support

A render reportedly revealed what the is going to look like. The render leaked through the Android 11 Developer Preview four series showing thin bezels and a punch hole camera on the upper left corner of the screen. In the middle of each year, OnePlus refreshes its line by upgrading to a new chipset. This year the chip powering the OnePlus 8T is the Snapdragon 865 Plus.

The render shows a thin bezel around the edges of the device. The OnePlus 8T render shows only the front of the device so we can't get a look at what to expect from the rear camera. On the back we ...

Zoom Rides Pandemic to Another Quarter of Explosive Growth

Zoom’s videoconferencing service is deepening its integral role in life during the pandemic as tens of thousands more businesses and other users pay for subscriptions to get more control over their virtual meetings.

Disney+ Hotstar September 2020: IPL, The Simpsons, LeBron James’ Becoming, and More

IPL 2020, The Simpsons season 32, LeBron James’ Becoming, Premier League, US Open, The Third Day, Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, Filthy Rich — the biggest movies, TV shows, and sporting events on Disney+ Hotstar in September 2020.

Deal: LG Stylo 6 and Samsung Galaxy A21 are free at Metro by T-Mobile (when you switch)

Earlier this year, Metro by T-Mobile released the and as two of its nicest sub-$300 smartphones. Both these handsets are normally sold for $259.99, but new Metro customers can now get them for free.

This is a limited-time deal that requires you to port-in an existing phone number to Metro. If you do that, you'll receive an instant $259.99 rebate when purchasing either the Stylo 6 or the Galaxy A21, essentially paying $0 for the phones. You will, however, need to pay a one-time $20 activation fee per line of service.

The deal is available ...

10 best Instagram Story apps for Android

StoryArt best Instagram Story apps for Android
Instagram’s Story feature is one of the most popular on the site. It’s mostly for daily updates and stuff you wouldn’t generally post on your profile. However, many use the platform as a performance art platform and Stories get really fun on occasion. Some people do comedy bits, others make super artsy posts, and it evolved into much more than intended. That means there are actually a bunch of tools for Stories for folks who want to do more with it. Here are the best Instagram Story apps for Android.

These apps might help you make fun Instagram Stories too:


Adobe apps

Price: Free / Varies

Adobe has some of the most popular apps for creative folks and this is no different. Those on mobile have Adobe Premiere Rush, Adobe Lightroom, a social media-centric version of Photoshop, and a few other tools to make some neat stuff for Instagram Stories. Those with desktops can use the more powerful tools (Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, After Effects) to do some neat stuff as well. The mobile apps are generally cheaper and many of them are free to use in many cases. The desktop variants can go for as much as $53.99 per month if you get the full subscription. In any case, whether it’s photo or video, Adobe probably has an app for it and Adobe apps are among the most powerful in this space. It’s kind of an obvious recommendation.


InShot

Price: Free / Varies

InShot is a developer on Google Play and has a few popular Instagram Story apps. The three main apps that you might try is the Story Saver app along with the photo editor and the video editor (separate apps). The first one is rather self explanatory. It lets you download other people’s Stories as well as IGTV content. The other two are also fairly self explanatory. The photo and video editors let you edit your photos and videos to ready them for Instagram. All three apps have the occasional bug, but they are otherwise quite functional.

InShot Story Saver screenshot 2020

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

KineMaster

Price: Free / $3.99 per month / $22.99 per year

KineMaster is a mobile video editor and one of the best. The app has a lot of desirable features, including multi-layer video editing, images, stickers, special effects, support for text, support for music, and more. The app even exports in 4K at 30FPS if your device can handle the export process. In general, Instagram Stories don’t really require too much video editing so something like this to throw together a little sketch or shave off some useless video at the beginning or end is perfectly functional.


LightX Photo Editor

Price: Free / $2.99 per month / $14.99 per year / $34.99 once

LightX Photo Editor is an excellent alternative to Adobe Lightroom for mobile photo editing. It has a lot of the basic tools such as contrast, exposure, brightness, hue, saturation etc. It also comes with teeth whitening, background blurring, and a range of filters for a neat look. Finally, the app can do some really fun stuff like remove the background from your image or merge two photos together. This is a great app for people who enjoy using photos on their Instagram Stories.


Mojo

Price: Free / $9.99 per month / $39.99 per year

Mojo is one of several somewhat decent Instagram Story apps. It has a variety of animation templates. You simply plug in your own stuff and the app makes a short video montage of the things you put in it. The app contains over 50 templates along with more than 50 text styles. You can edit templates as well for more customization. The price is rather extravagant so we don’t really recommend it unless you really like the app. Also, we hope it finishes porting all of the iOS features sooner rather than later.


Read more:


Snapseed

Price: Free

Snapseed is a photo editor by Google and it’s one of the best. It doesn’t have a ton of super unique features, but it does the basics with rock solid efficiency. The app includes 29 tools and filters, including a fake HDR mode, support for RAW photos, and an auto-adjuster tool to make images pop a bit more. You can do some really good stuff with this and the feature list is impressive considering its very free price tag.

best DSLR apps - Snapseed


Story Editor

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Story Editor by cerdillac is a decent and serviceable Instagram Story editor. The app contains over 200 story templates along with some filters, a collage maker, text support, and even some minor photo editing functions like background blur. The app is otherwise fairly self explanatory. You add various things into it, use the templates and filters to generate a desired effect, and then publish it to Instagram. There are a bunch of free templates in the app, but you can buy more stuff via in-app purchases (generally at $1.99 for each package).

Story Editor screenshot

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Story Maker

Price: Free

Story Maker by Gonga Dev is a decent free Instagram Story editor. The app has over 300 templates spread out across several categories for easier browsing. In addition, there are over 100 text fonts, support for both photo and video, and support for other apps such as Snapchat, Whatsapp, and others. It works the same as most of the other options in this space so it’s pretty simple for most folks. This one is entirely free with ads and people don’t seem to mind the ads much.

Story Maker screenshot

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

StoryArt

Price: Free / $2.99 per month / $9.99 per year / $19.99 once / Varies

StoryArt is another big story editor with some decent functionality. This one boasts over 2,000 templates, although many of them are pretty simple. The app also features some basic photo and video editing along with the usual array of photos, stickers, and text support. You can even design some little logos to make your Instagram Stories look good on your profile. The subscription is cheaper than most competitors or you can pay for it a single time. There are also in-app purchase packages in case you only want certain things.

StoryArt screenshot 2020

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

StoryLab

Price: Free / $2.99 per month / $8.99 per year / $9.99 once

StoryLab is an Instagram Story editor with some fun tricks. It supports over 700 Instagram Story templates and you can lightly customize most of them. It also supports 9:16 along with 1:1 so you can make Stories in a couple of different ways. The app also supports both photo and video along with some effect brushes that let you do some neat stuff like Kirakira and other popular effects. This one is also on the cheaper side in terms of subscriptions and even its single price is less than many competitors.

StoryLab screenshot 2020

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Thank you for reading! Try these too:

If we missed any great Instagram Story apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments. You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists!



Motorola releases Android 10 kernel code for Moto E 2020 and One Fusion

Custom ROM developers, start your engines

Although Motorola has been slow to roll out Android 10 to most of its devices globally, the company is at least keeping custom ROM developers happy with steady kernel source releases. Source code for the Moto One Power and One Hyper's Android 10 updates had already been available, and following releases for other phones, the Moto One Zoom and G Stylus have now joined the group.

Read More

Motorola releases Android 10 kernel code for Moto E 2020 and One Fusion was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



'Visitor sharing' feature for Google Drive exits beta for G Suite subscribers, making it easier to share content

Back in 2018, Google started testing a system for sharing content in Google Drive (including Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites) with folks that didn't have a Google account, by using a PIN-based verification system. Now called "visitor sharing," the feature is rolling out more widely to G Suite customers over the next month.

Usually, Google's beta tests don't take years to complete, but it makes sense that Google would give this feature as much time in the oven as possible.

Read More

'Visitor sharing' feature for Google Drive exits beta for G Suite subscribers, making it easier to share content was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



Google's hotly anticipated Android TV dongle may cost just $50

Pretty competitive

Pricing for Google's upcoming Android TV dongle may have leaked courtesy of Home Depot. Spotted by 9to5Google, the new device could run around $50 when it lands, and come in three colors: Rock Candy, Como Blue, and Summer Melon.

Images from Home Depot's internal systems, via 9to5Google

While the $50 values currently in Home Depot's inventory system could be placeholders, they make a lot of sense. Google would be foolish to charge more than competitors like Roku or Amazon do for the Streaming Stick or Amazon Fire TV.

Read More

Google's hotly anticipated Android TV dongle may cost just $50 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.



Here's an Apple Watch Series 6 vs Watch 5 X-ray for your viewing pleasure


Besides a bunch of , new and maybe even a fresh model, Apple is gearing up to announce a brand new at the same October event, and an alleged X-ray of the wearable has now leaked out. Wait, what?

That's right, just how partnered with the guys from the to bring us the  in the form of wallpapers, now someone took the Series 6 under the electrons, and gave it for Mr White to leak out.

While not a very prolific tipster, Mr White's Apple device leaks have been spot on so far, albeit on the parts side, indicating that he is ...

Best AirPods sales and deals right now

Looking for a new set of to pair with your iPhone? The Store rarely offers any good AirPods discounts, but many third-party stores and retailers do. In fact, we've done the hard work for you ‒ we've scouted the web for the best deals on AirPods and AirPods Pro right now.

Note that not every AirPods discount gets you a brand new set of earphones. Some of the offers below may be for a pair of refurbished AirPods, meaning that the earphones have been used or opened, but have been restored to near-factory condition. 

It's ...

Would you sacrifice wireless charging for a bigger battery?

This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

The question might seem out of the blue but there’s a method to the madness here. Last week I had the opportunity to test and review the . Among all the unconventional choices made by the Taiwanese company in this flagship device, one stood out like a suspicious 5G tower. There was no wireless charging present, as a trade-off for putting in that huge 5000 mAh battery. This made me wonder what would I prefer in a phone - a bigger battery or wireless charging capabilities?

Now, I can state my personal ...

I'm equally excited and terrified of Amazon and Fitbit's newest wearables

A stress-tracking smartwatch sounds incredibly stressful.

Seemingly out of nowhere, 2020 is quickly shaping up to be one of the biggest years for wearable tech that we've had in a long time. Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 proved to be a hit, there's a new Apple Watch on the horizon, OnePlus is expected to drop its first smartwatch very soon, and we have new health-focused wearables from Fitbit and Amazon. For the purpose of this editorial, those are the ones I want to focus on.

What's interesting about these two releases is that while they're coming from two very different companies, both Fitbit and Amazon are taking unique approaches to the world of holistic health. With both the Fitbit Sense and Amazon Halo wearables, we have two devices that aim to help you live a better life by focusing on things other than your step count and exercise minutes. I'm all for new ways of using technology to improve one's quality of life, but the transition of getting used to these things could be a challenge in itself.

Fitbit Sense

Let's start with the Fitbit Sense, which at first glance, looks like a pretty modest upgrade to Fitbit's Versa series of smartwatches. It does all of the usual Fitbit stuff you've come to expect, allowing you to log exercises, track your sleep, monitor your water intake, etc. None of that is going away, but on the Sense, it's joined by an all-new feature — stress tracking.

Fitbit Sense is equipped with an EDA sensor, which is able to scan your body's electrodermal activity. Electrodermal activity can measure how your body responds to stress, and on both the Sense's display and in the Fitbit app, you'll be able to see a graph of your stress throughout the day and understand how it changes over time. It's a very timely feature for the world we currently live in, and by understanding how we deal with stress, Fitbit hopes that the Sense will urge you to "understand your stress, reflect on your mood, and make time for mindfulness."

Proper stress management goes beyond an app on your phone.

All of that sounds amazing in theory, but I'm not yet convinced about its real-world performance. The idea of having my watch remind me of just how stressed I am sounds incredibly stressful on its own, and while that data can be put to good use, it's still up to you to actually do something about it. If you don't, you'll be just as stressed as before, except this time you have a screen on your wrist making sure you don't forget.

There's also the possibility that some people could see that their stress levels are high, do a recommended meditation session through the Fitbit app, and think that's all there is to it. That could be enough for some individuals, but relying on a smartwatch instead of seeing a therapist for working on your mental health is not a good alternative.

Fitbit obviously isn't responsible for what its users decide to do or not do with the data they get from something like the Fitbit Sense, but this big push of improving mental health from a consumer electronics brand instead of just seeking out a doctor all feels a bit icky to me. I have no doubt that Fitbit's intentions are good and pure, but effectively turning your mental health into another app on your phone doesn't seem all that healthy.

Amazon Halo

Perhaps even more unsettling for some people, there's the next product we need to talk about — Amazon Halo. Amazon unveiled the Halo on August 27 with virtually no fanfare, which is especially interesting given that it's the company's first-ever fitness band. It's also pretty unique in how Halo operates, as it has no on-device display and doesn't do the traditional step/exercise tracking that you get on something like a Fitbit. Instead, Halo tracks your daily activity and sleep as numbered points and uses sensors on the back to measure the intensity of your activity and the quality of your sleep.

There's nothing inherently troubling or concerning about that, but where things start to get weird is with Amazon Halo's body fat tracking. Using Halo's sensors and your phone's camera, Amazon creates a personalized 3D model of your body to show you your body fat composition, weight, and body fat percentage.

Ignoring the questions regarding how technically accurate something like this can be, it also sounds like a nightmare for someone with a disorder like body dysmorphia. Amazon isn't forcing anyone to buy Halo, but the fact that we have a device that is so heavily focused on body image is concerning. As pointed out by Dieter Bohn at The Verge, there's even a feature that allows you to move a slider and see what you would look like with less body fat. To say that's troubling would be a massive understatement.

Then there's the "Tone" feature, which sees the Halo periodically listening to your voice throughout the day and providing feedback on how you sound — whether it be friendly, delighted, overwhelmed, etc. This brings up the same concern I have with the Fitbit Sense's stress tracking, which is that it could potentially cause more stress for users than intended. I'm someone that often reflects on how I speak with people, even for something as simple as picking up my food from a restaurant. Wearing a gadget that tells me I spoke the wrong way when I was already anxious about it doesn't sound like a fun time.

Getting comfortable with the future of health care

I'm not saying any of this with the intent of bashing Fitbit and Amazon for trying something new with wearable tech. In fact, I think it's really exciting that these two companies are using their resources to try and better the lives of people through the means that they think are best.

That said, I am concerned about this transitional period. Health and technology go hand-in-hand more than ever before, especially in the world that we live in now where doctor appointments are held over video calls. The merging of these two things is great to see, but it's going to take some time for companies to learn what is and isn't appropriate for their approaches — just like we need to learn how to get comfortable with these new offerings.

A stress-monitoring watch and vocal-training fitness band might be the norm a couple of years down the road, but right now, I can't help but feel a little apprehensive.

Stress-tracker

Fitbit Sense

$330 at Amazon $330 at Best Buy

Monitor your steps, sleep, stress, and more

The Fitbit Sense is the most capable Fitbit yet, offering robust features for physical activity tracking and holistic health. It's the first Fitbit with stress-tracking, ECG readings, and a skin temperature sensor— all on top of everything you already know and love from the company.



Did you misplace or break the S Pen on your Galaxy Note 20? Get it replaced

In the event that you've either misplaced or broken the S Pen with the Galaxy Note 20, all hope is not lost. You can get a replacement if you can't manage to locate the S Pen that came with your new phone.

Products used in this guide

Try to find the S Pen first

Unlike the Galaxy Beans or Galaxy Watch, there's no real way for your Galaxy Note 20 to "locate" where your S Pen may be in the event that you forgot to re-holster it. However, if you move too far away from the Bluetooth connection, a notification will appear on your Note 20, offering a gentle reminder to double check and make sure that the S Pen has been put back into its place.

Other than that, you'll need to look around and see if you can figure out where it was the last time you were using the S Pen with your Note 20. Unfortunately, there's no way to ping it like you can with other devices. Since there's no speaker on the S Pen, you won't be able to "ring" it in case it falls in a seat cushion or somewhere else.

Replace the Galaxy Note 20 S Pen

So you've torn the couch apart and looked everywhere and still can't find where you last had the S Pen. While it's frustrating, the last option you have is to pick up a replacement. Currently, Samsung and Amazon are offering the Note 20s S Pen if you want to order one, but there's another option available.

Those who don't want to fork out the extra dough for the latest S Pen can pick up the same S Pen that was used with the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+. We've confirmed that these S Pens are interchangeable, and although the colors won't match up, all of the same Air Gestures and other great S Pen features will still work. The only difference outside of the color is the latency. Interacting with your Galaxy Note 20 with last year's S Pen may feel a bit jittery, especially on the Note 20 Ultra's 120Hz display.

New and shiny

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra

From $1,000 at Microsoft From $1,000 at Amazon From $1,000 at Best Buy

Samsung's 'kitchen sink" phone is here

The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are two of the most impressive devices of the year, with a slightly-tweaked design, an enormous camera bump, and the ultra-useful S Pen. Get all of the best specs and the display on a smartphone in 2020.

Not just a stylus

Samsung S Pen

$40 at Amazon $40 at Samsung

Much more useful than you think

The S Pen included with the Galaxy Note 20 is capable of so much more than just swiping and scrolling through pages. The latency has been greatly reduced, and the Air Command Gestures are something that you'll have to try for yourself.

Last year's version works

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 S Pen

$21 at Amazon $27 at Best Buy $25 at B&H Photo

Samsung's Note 10 S Pen works just fine

Although you will miss out on the improved latency, the S Pen from the Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ will work just fine for everything you'll need. Sure, the colors may not match up, but that just gives your Note 20 more personality.



OnePlus Nord gets sixth Oxygen OS update: Still no August security patch

Update: August 31, 2020 (6:10 AM ET): OnePlus is now rolling out Oxygen OS 10.5.6 to the OnePlus Nord.

The update numbered 10.5.6.AC01DA in India, 10.5.6.AC01BA in EU, and 10.5.6.AC01AA​ in other global markets is not a very significant one. It brings improvements to system stability, image stabilization, power consumption, and Bluetooth connections. That’s about it.

There are no new features being added in this update and the August security patch is still missing for the phone.


Original article: August 10 2020 (5:09 AM ET): Welcome to the OnePlus Nord update hub. Here you’ll find all the latest information about new and historical software updates for the OnePlus Nord. We’ll list the current software version for the phone and regularly update the hub as and when new updates roll out.

OnePlus phones run the company’s proprietary skin called Oxygen OS based on Android. OnePlus is usually very good with software updates and the OnePlus Nord should be no different.

Be sure to bookmark this page and check it often to find out what’s new with the Nord. Don’t have the phone but want to get in on the action? Then you can buy the Nord via the button below.

OnePlus Nord
After years of only releasing top-tier flagships, OnePlus is back in the mid-range category with the OnePlus Nord. It cuts some corners, but we think many people will really like this phone — especially because of its £379 price tag.

OnePlus Nord updates

  • Current stable version: Oxygen OS based on Android 10
  • When will OnePlus Nord get Android 11?: September-October 2020 (Estimated)

The OnePlus Nord officially launched on July 21 with Oxygen OS 10.5 based on Android 10. Just like other OnePlus phones, the OnePlus Nord will also get two years of software updates and three years of security updates — Android 11 in 2020 and Android 12 in 2021. It could even get an upgrade to Android 13 in 2022, as the OnePlus 3T received four versions of Android during its lifespan (Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo, and Pie).

OnePlus rolled out (h/t Gadgets360) Oxygen OS 10.5.1 to the OnePlus Nord just a day after its launch. The software carried improvements for the depth sensor and indoor image quality. It also optimized power efficiency for 4K video recording at 60fps and improved the overall video recording experience.

A few days later, OnePlus announced Oxygen OS 10.5.2 for the OnePlus Nord. It came with newly adapted firmware for the OnePlus Buds, optimized the process of starting the camera with gestures, improved video calling, and introduced the July 2020 security patch to the phone. It also optimized power efficiency for 4K video shooting with the front camera alongside other stability improvements.

Related: OnePlus Nord price and availability: The info you need

In early August, the OnePlus Nord started getting its third software update in the form of Oxygen OS 10.5.3. This was a small one and just carried some system stability improvements.

On August 10, OnePlus started rolling out Oxygen OS 10.5.4 for the OnePlus Nord. This update improves the launch speed of the Gallery app, enhances the display experience, and fixes an issue with music playing in the background while using the front camera. The update further improves video call quality, color accuracy, and white balance of low-light selfies, as well as the vibrancy and color accuracy of the macro camera.

Later on August 24, OnePlus rolled out Oxygen OS 10.5.5 to the OnePlus Nord. The update brought a number of system bug fixes and power improvements to the phone. It also improved image clarity of the front camera in low light conditions as well as clarity of the macro camera.


Those are all the OnePlus Nord updates we know about till now.

Let us know which OnePlus Nord update you’re rocking in the comments, and if you’ve spotted a recent update we’ve missed, tip us!

Are you looking for another device update? Head to our general Android 10 update tracker at the link.



Samsung Galaxy M51 is here with a 7000mAh battery, 64MP quad cameras

It is Samsung's first M series phone to support 25W charging speeds.

What you need to know

  • Samsung Galaxy M51 is now official.
  • The phone features a 6.7-inch FHD+ Infinity-O display, quad rear cameras, and a 7,000mAh battery.
  • It has been priced at €430 in Germany.

Samsung today quietly unveiled a new budget phone under its Galaxy M series. The new Galaxy M51 packs a bigger battery than any other phone Samsung has released so far and happens to be quite impressive in a few other areas as well.

The Galaxy M51 comes with a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display featuring a centered hole-punch cutout, housing a 32MP selfie camera. While Samsung hasn't listed the name of the chipset powering the phone yet, it is likely to have the same Snapdragon 730 chipset under the hood as Google's Pixel 4a.

Around the back of the phone is a quad-camera setup featuring a 64MP main sensor, an ultra-wide-angle 12MP shooter, a 5MP depth sensor, and a 5MP macro shooter. The phone's main highlight, however, is its massive 7,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Some of its other key tech specs include 6GB of RAM, 128GB storage, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Galaxy M51 is now available to pre-order on Samsung's German website for €360 ($429). In addition to Germany, the phone is expected to be available in a few other markets across Europe within the next few weeks. The phone is also slated to be launched in India early next month.

Samsung Galaxy A51

$400 at Amazon $400 at Best Buy $288 at Walmart

The Galaxy A51 is among the most popular mid-range Android phones on the market currently. It offers an attractive design, excellent battery life, a vibrant AMOLED display, and quad rear cameras.