There's a new leak about the next Samsung smartphone that'll probably make you happy, given its content. The Samsung Galaxy S11 is what we're calling it, for now, until Samsung decides to reveal its official name. The latest leak suggests that the phone - and likely the Galaxy Note 11, too - will feature a camera that can take far larger photos than any previous Samsung phone. That's good news, right?
There are currently two open source Linux phones trying to make their way into regular consumers' hands and one of them is getting all the spotlight but not all for good reasons. Although it was the first to launch and, on paper, has the better specs, Purism's Librem 5 is garnering some controversy, raising questions on its capability to ship a finished product in a few months. As if it didn't have enough to worry about, Purism just started pre-orders for a version of the Librem 5 that's 100% made in the USA and costs three times the regular Librem 5 that has yet to ship in its final form.
Microsoft just announced a facelift for its mobile apps, both on Android and iOS that is almost too easy to pass off as just an aesthetic change. After all, Microsoft itself talks a lot about Fluent design, visual coherence, and the like. This might just be the tip of the iceberg and the way Microsoft will be preparing people, especially mobile users for the Surface Duo, and even the Surface Neo, that will be speaking the same design language after all.
The Galaxy S11 may be Samsung's crowning glory for the beginning of 2020 but it won't be a measure of success for at least one Samsung business. Just like in years past, the flagship will have two versions differing only in the mobile processor used. This year, however, might be the writing on the wall for Samsung's own silicon as the models using the new Snapdragon 865 will reportedly be used in more markets compared to the Exynos 990.
It seems that Sony is giving its loyal customers and early holiday gift, though, to be honest, it's something that should be a normal state of things rather than the exception. Owners of the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 flagships have been pleasantly surprised by notifications telling them an update is available. And not just any update, mind, but one that carries with it the promised Android 10.
Cameras, 5G, and AI seem to be the pillars that the mobile market will stand on next year. Those features are, of course, always present in the premium and flagship phones that start at $600 or higher. Those with less constrained resources will naturally feel a bit left out but, fortunately for them, smartphone hardware is getting cheaper as well too. At least that seems to be what HMD Global is trying to sell with the Nokia 2.3, perhaps one of few if not first entry-level Android phones to claim AI-powered features, particularly in the camera.
If you were hoping to have a new phone that combined the S Pen and a headphone jack this year, better put your plans on hold. For reasons still unknown, Samsung is reportedly delaying the launch of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite as well as the Galaxy S10 Lite from December 2019 to mid-January 2020. And that's for India, the first market where these two will debut, which suggests that global launch will come a bit later, putting it dangerously close to the expected unboxing of the Galaxy S11.
The next Star Wars movie will be released on the 20th of December, and Samsung has a special edition smartphone to sell in celebration. Naturally, Samsung's made the phone available before the release of the film, with a pre-order option starting tonight. Because what better way to celebrate a movie than with a smartphone that'll cost over 100x the cost of a ticket to said movie?
Microsoft has redesigned several of its Office mobile apps, including OneDrive, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. The company has focused on mobile productivity and the needs of users who are increasingly reliant on their mobile devices. Microsoft has introduced a number of changes to help users save time, including the arrival of a new 'Play My Emails' feature in Outlook.
Apple released a new version of their "Clips" app today, bringing with it a number of features that'll work on the newest round of iPhone and iPad devices. This newest version of the Clips app includes support for new languages - specifically right-to-left languages including Hebrew and Arabic. Clips will also bring seven new Mickey and Minnie Mouse stickers because Disney is the dominant media force on Earth here at the tail end of 2019.
Whenever a new type of game becomes extremely popular and profitable, there comes a flood of titles that try to jump on board and capitalize on the hype. Sometimes, one or two successfully become the kings of that genre, like Fortnite and PUBG or battle royales and League of Legends and Dota 2 for MOBAs. The one genre that seems to be an impenetrable fortress is card games, still ruled by Hearthstone. Many have tried but just as many bit the dust. CD Projekt's Gwent, spun off from The Witcher franchise, may still be in the running but it is now shedding off its console version to focus on PC and mobile.
Qualcomm just recently announced the evolution of its 3D ultrasonic fingerprint scanning technology and, truth be told, we did find it to be a huge step forward. 3D Sonic Max, as it is called, checks off almost all the complaints that real-world users had with it on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10, at least on the company's demo units. Unsurprisingly, hopes are running high that this new piece of tech would be adopted by more smartphone makers, including Apple. But while it's always within the realm of possibility for the 2020 iPhone to have it, it could be a huge step back as far as Apple is concerned.