Phones

Microsoft just announced the Surface Duo 2, and it is clearly what the first Surface Duo should have been the very first time around. It has hardware made for the year it was launched, pulling very few punches this time. Its launch, however, might have caused some of the owners of the first-gen dual-screen device concern over software support, and Microsoft is putting those fears to rest with the promise of an Android 11 before the year is over.

Continue Reading

Google's Pixel phones have never had the best camera hardware in the market, but Google proved its photography prowess by compensating for it with advanced algorithms and AI. After many generations, Google is seemingly ready to upgrade its imaging sensors while still relying on software to make up for what hardware might lack. Google is, of course, still mum on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro's camera features, but a teardown of the Camera app, fortunately, provides hints of what's to come.

Continue Reading

Companies that regularly make consumer products, especially consumer electronics, often try to hit a certain window of time for launching new products. This window is determined by multiple factors, including market "seasons," pacing with other products from the same company, and competitors' schedules. Missing that window of opportunity can send ripples that affect not only the company's profits but also those of its partners, especially manufacturers. That's why it's critical for Samsung to get the Galaxy S21 FE out stat, which will hopefully be easier now that it has reportedly addressed its production problems.

Continue Reading

Today, Google announced a wide array of updates for Android that covers several different apps and services. From accessibility and Assistant to Photos and even something for Google TV, these new updates not only add new features but, in some cases, they're bringing functionality that was at one point exclusive to Pixel over to other Android smartphones.

Continue Reading

Furfrou is taking over the minds of Pokemon GO players this week with what we're calling Fashion Form Madness! When you can't figure out how to "Catch Em All" in any Pokemon game, you feel the madness. When you don't know all the tricks of the trade with Furfrou in Pokemon GO, you go completely off your rocker with Brain Scramblies!

Continue Reading

Samsung's delivery of foldable displays to the industry changed the way their mobile device lineup does business. Now, courtesy of a collection of devices that are capable of using the S Pen, there's really no need to have a single device whose most major feature is said stylus. Instead, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S22, the Galaxy Note dies, and the S Pen lives again.

Continue Reading

The Galaxy Z Fold 3's adoption of S Pen and Wacom technologies was widely praised, but its treatment of the stylus received the completely opposite feedback. Sold separately and without any home for it on the device, some regarded the S Pen as an optional afterthought rather than a selling feature. The balance between having a thin device and a comfortable stylus has always been a delicate dance, but a new Samsung patent plays around with the idea of a foldable device that does have room for the S Pen in a rather intriguing way.

Continue Reading

Since fewer people will probably buy a Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Galaxy Z Flip 3 in lieu of the absence of a Galaxy Note 21 this year, Samsung is left with a rather large gap between Galaxy S series flagships in 2021 and 2022. That gap would have been partially filled by a Fan Edition, but that strategy might not pay off, at least based on how things are off to a rough start. Although not terribly late, the Galaxy S21 FE might have limited availability based on reported numbers coming from the production lines.

Continue Reading

It isn't surprising to hear about Huawei's attempts to circumvent US sanctions that prevent it from buying products, technologies, and even software from former partners like Qualcomm and Google. For example, it ordered some 4G-only Snapdragon chips to bypass its ban from touching anything related to 5G. Some lawmakers and government officials in the US see its sale of Honor to a consortium as one of those evasive maneuvers and want the former subsidiary to be put on the same Entity List. Unfortunately for them, their own colleagues have placed the decision in a deadlock.

Continue Reading

Now that Apple has unveiled its smartphone champion for the next 12 months, Android loyals are probably preparing for what could be the most notable Google phone in recent years. Based on leaks and rumors, the Pixel 6, particularly the Pixel 6 Pro, will be breaking away from the Pixel trend in the past five years since the first Google-designed phone. That's pretty obvious in looks, but there are also a lot of other changes both inside and outside that are now being revealed or confirmed by what may be the first hands-on video of the Pixel 6 Pro.

Continue Reading

An early peek at the inner workings of the Google Pixel 6 appeared to show the newest version of the device's Live Translate feature. Much like the device's ability to tell the user the artist and title of a song played locally, the Google Pixel 6 has the ability to translate languages in real time. It's entirely possible this feature will also appear on a variety of smartphones running Android 12 in the near future.

Continue Reading

A lot of attention is given to Samsung's high-end and more expensive smartphones, which isn't surprising since that is what the company's marketing machinery tries to push to consumers' consciousness anyway. There is, however, also a plethora of choices under Samsung's name that address different markets and consumers with different needs and, most importantly, budgets. These are often left by the wayside when it comes to mobile technology innovations, but it seems that Samsung will be giving its Galaxy A series some TLC, starting with a humble Galaxy A13 5G.

Continue Reading