This week the folks at Samsung and Verizon revealed the Samsung Galaxy A71 5G UW. This device is now the least expensive way to access Verizon's own Ultra Wideband 5G connectivity. With this device, users get a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display, four cameras (and a fifth on the front), 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot for potential storage expansion.
Today Pokemon GO Rocket (or Team Rocket, if you prefer) launched a balloon attack on the world! We've been reporting on this for the past week, exploring how Pokemon GO with this "balloon" mechanic could change the way the game is played. If Team Rocket is able to move around the map, like players can move around the map - what's next?!
Earlier this week, Tencent announced that PUBG Mobile would be getting a new map. New maps aren't the rarity in PUBG that they may be in other battle royale games, but this new map was slated to be a special one. When Tencent made its announcement, it revealed Tivik, a new map made specifically for PUBG Mobile players using smartphones and tablets.
It would seem that Samsung's stepping up to the challenge set by Apple's iPad Pro with a pair of new tablets this August. This new set of tablets is rumored to roll out at the same time, at Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event, right alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and Galaxy Z Flip 5G. That's quite the collection of devices, and certainly a bigger lineup than any recent event held by an Android-toting smart device company.
Today Samsung revealed a wireless charging device called the Samsung UV Sterilizer. This device was manufactured by Samsung C&T, part of the official Samsung Mobile Accessory Partnership Program (SMAPP). This device is both a wireless charger for your phone and a cleaner of sorts... with UV light.
Today OnePlus released the details of their first OnePlus Nord event, the event at which the first OnePlus Nord smartphone will get revealed and tapped with a release date. The NORD branding is in place, and the first images of the phone have been shared. This device is set to remind the world of the origins of the OnePlus brand - or so we're to understand - one in which the price of the smartphone is far lower than the quality of the device might make one expect.
Motorola has released a new 5G phone, with the Moto G 5G Plus promising to be as affordable as the company's other recent smartphones, but with support for high-speed data and a new selfie camera. It taps Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 to do that, with the X52 Modem. Availability plans for the US haven't been confirmed, but Motorola says it does intend to launch a sub-$500 5G phone in North America come the fall.
It's not uncommon for tech companies to put out products that never get a sequel, either because it didn't become popular or didn't sell well or even both. Sometimes, those one-off products don't even get their due support as far as customer service or, in the case of computing devices, software updates go. Consumers look for signs that a company is invested in a product beyond just launching and selling and then forgetting about it. Microsoft's latest business move might exactly be that sign that the company is in for the long haul when it comes to its most ambitious Android smartphone yet.
There are still debates on the usefulness not to mention the accuracy of benchmarking apps but now AnTuTu has an even bigger problem to deal with. One of the most popular benchmarking tools on mobile, especially on Android, the AnTuTu is repeatedly getting kicked out of Google's ecosystem. After it got removed from Google Play Store earlier this year, the Android maker's Play Protect security platform is now treating the app as something dangerous, effectively scaring off users from trying to install it.
In less than a month, Samsung will be making its biggest gamble as far as its mobile business goes. In response to lackluster sales of the Galaxy S20 in the first half of the year, Samsung is expected to dump all of its remaining high-end phones in the next three months. Of course, the Galaxy Note 20 will be coming first and we're now getting the last drops of leaks before that happens, including the first real-world hands-on photos of what is claimed to be the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
As a smaller company in a sea of big fish, OnePlus is used to doing more with less. Its launch events aren't exactly grand and can even be considered more "grassroots" than large corporate press parties. It does, however, always been more ambitious and daring with those exactly because it can afford to be more flexible and unorthodox. It isn't, for example, unfamiliar with holding events online but since everyone's doing online launches this year, it will reportedly put a hi-tech twist to the OnePlus Nord's debut.
The Pixel 4a is terribly delayed and, if things happen in order, the Pixel 5 might come even much later than usual. Either that or both phones will launch side by side, which is an equally strange situation. There have been very little in the way of leaks about the Pixel 5 aside from its probably mid-range specs. Renders of what is claimed to be the Pixel 5 and its dubious nature has sparked discussion on the rather uncertain situation that the phone's development is currently in right now.