Phones

MWC 2020 is happening in just a few weeks but it might be a relatively quiet one if the withdrawal of companies is any indication. For Apple fans, it's really nothing new but they might have something to look forward to next month if insider rumors are any indicator. Sources are claiming that, despite the situation in China, production for Apple's low-cost iPhone is ramping up and its price might be to die for. Not literally, of course.

Continue Reading

A handful of companies have already bowed out of the world's biggest mobile tech show but OPPO doesn't seem too keen to back down from the opportunity. Especially if that opportunity involves unveiling the successor to a phone that made headlines in 2018. Whether or not the OPPO Find X2 has a particular gimmick to make that happen is still unknown but, at least according to some unofficial but credible sources, it will be packed full of hardware that will give this year's flagships a run for their money.

Continue Reading

The Motorola Razr has had its chance in the spotlight and it might have blown it if you take initial reviews into account. Samsung will naturally take the opportunity to advertise what might potentially be a more durable option. And what better way to do that before its actual debut than by putting up an ad for all the stars to see at the Academy Awards. And, unsurprisingly, Samsung didn't miss the chance to poke a bit of fun at the Galaxy Z Flip's rival.

Continue Reading

It may seem like it's playing second fiddle to the Motorola Razr but, from the early reviews and impressions, it's probably good that the Galaxy Z Flip isn't coming in first. It isn't Samsung's first dance with a flexible display either so there might be hope that it will end up as the better phone. Judging by what may be the closest we'll get to live videos of the device this close to the announcement, it could very well be the case.

Continue Reading

We're entering a second phase in the whole foldable smartphone march with the Motorola Razr and the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip. Once again, concerns about the overall benefits of such expensive and comparatively fragile phones are being raised. In the meantime, Microsoft is preparing its own take on that niche form with the Surface Duo and the Surface Neo and, as luck would have it, the former was already spotted in use out in the wild. Unfortunately, it also seems that it is far from ready as far as the software goes.

Continue Reading

Spam calls, despite the rather tasty name, have devastating effects on the industry both in terms of dollars lost as well as in people harmed. It is only now, however, that the industry is making a concerted effort to solve the problem but inter-carrier solutions are taking some time to take effect. In the meantime, Google has rolled out its own fix, naturally powered by AI and Google Assistant, and it is now making that available to Pixel phones, including the very first one.

Continue Reading

In just a week, Samsung will kick off this year's batch of Android flagships and you can bet Huawei won't be far behind. The Huawei P40 won't be straying far from the Mate 30 Pro which should have been 2018's top smartphone when it comes to photography. On paper, that is the case but its unavailability and lack of Google Play apps have made it a distant wish to many consumers. Now a teardown of the "banned" phone gives buyers another reason to yearn of better days.

Continue Reading

There are two things that worry consumers when it comes to this new breed of foldable phones. Okay, three if you include the price tag. Given the Galaxy Fold's initial blunder, there are concerns about the durability of the flexible display. And given the number of times the device has to be folded and unfolded, there are also worries about how much action the hinge can see. Based on a teardown of the Motorola Razr, the phone's foldable screen isn't as fragile as Samsung's first attempt. The hinge, on the other hand, might be a different matter.

Continue Reading

We are about to get flooded by a few high-end and mid-range phones in the coming weeks leading up to and culminating at MWC 2020 but Android purists might already have had their fill with the Pixel 4 last year. That said, the price point of Google's premium phone has scared off not a few Android faithful. That's where the wallet-friendly "a" variants come in and if the current information we have on the Pixel 4a is accurate, it shouldn't be a surprise that it won't be as capable as many phones coming this year.

Continue Reading

Today we're able to turn off autoplay on Netflix, at long last. Two different forms of "autoplay" were given an OFF switch today for the greater good of streaming content everywhere. One of these switches is given to "autoplay next episode in a series", and the other was FINALLY, after what seems like forever, given to "autoplay previews while browsing." Peace and quiet, and calm, and control, back again.

Continue Reading

MWC 2020 is quickly approaching, and thanks to recent leaks, we're expecting Motorola to show up to the event with the Moto G8 Power in tow. The phone suffered another leak today, and this time, it was Amazon UK doing the leaking. Thanks to a pair store listings for the Moto G8 Power, we got to see some new renders of the device and learn about some of the phone's specifications.

Continue Reading

The most massive mobile smartphone brands in China are meeting to join forces to take on Google and Apple's global dominance of the smartphone industry. To make this happen, Huawei is in talks with a group that already involves Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo, in what they call their Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA). The GDSA is a platform that aims to present a new app store (for starters) in a world that'd otherwise have them dependent on Google Play and the Google Services package for Android - and, of course, unable to use iOS or the Apple app/content ecosystem for their devices whatsoever.

Continue Reading