Category: Digital world

Vivo’s X series of flagship Android phones usually deliver a great high-end experience with slick cameras. The company has been teasing the X200 series for a while now, and it finally launched the phones in China today.

The vivo X200 series consists of three phones, namely the X200, X200 Pro, and X200 Pro Mini. Yes, the Chinese brand is hopping aboard the compact flagship phone bandwagon with a device that looks to take the fight to the likes of the Pixel 9 Pro. But more on that phone in a bit.

These are the first phones to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 processor. In a cool touch, vivo says this chipset enables long-range communication via Bluetooth. The company specifically says you can use this tech to send SOS messages up to four kilometers away, one-on-one voice communication up to two kilometers away, map locations, and more.

Other shared features include IP68 and IP69 ratings, 90W wired charging, ZEISS camera branding, a 32MP selfie camera, and the Origin OS 5 skin (featuring vivo’s take on Circle to Search).

The X200 Pro Mini brings a pocket-friendly 6.31-inch flat OLED screen (2,640×1,216), making it stand out from the brand’s previous flagship efforts. This screen size isn’t as small as the likes of the Galaxy S24, but it matches up well with the Pixel 9 Pro and Xiaomi 14.

The phone is still a high-end experience when looking at the spec sheet. Aside from the aforementioned chipset, you can expect a 5,700mAh battery and 30W wireless charging. The battery capacity means this phone actually has a bigger battery than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, OnePlus 12, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Vivo’s smaller phone also has a flexible triple rear camera system. Expect a LYT-818 main camera (1/1.28-inch, f/1.57), along with a 50MP ultrawide sensor, and a 50MP 3x periscope lens (IMX882) with macro support.

The vivo X200 Pro is a camera-focused flagship through and through. The phone offers a triple rear camera system consisting of a LYT-818 main camera, a 50MP ultrawide shooter, and a 200MP 3.7x periscope lens (f/2.57, macro support). This main camera is actually smaller than the one-inch main sensors seen on the X100 Pro and Ultra, but vivo insists that this new sensor rivals one-inch sensors for photo capture and beats them for video capture.

The 200MP periscope camera is the same telephoto camera seen on the X100 Ultra earlier this year. We were mostly impressed with this shooter but thought full-resolution shots needed work. So fingers crossed that vivo has optimized the camera accordingly.

Nevertheless, the X200 Pro offers a variety of camera modes. There’s the X100 Ultra’s stage mode for improved concert shots, as well as a Landscape Mode which seems to be a one-stop shop for features like long exposures, astrophotography, moon shots, and more. Other camera features include a V3 Plus imaging chip, 4K/120fps support, an improved action pan mode, a 135mm option for portraits, 4K/60fps Dolby Vision video, and 4K/60fps 10-bit LOG support.

The X200 Pro otherwise features a 6.78-inch 120Hz OLED screen (2,800 x 1,260, 4,500 nits of peak brightness). This is an LTPO panel and is capable of dropping down to just 0.1Hz, a marked improvement over the 1Hz minimum refresh rate seen on most premium flagship phones. The phone also brings a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery and 30W wireless charging. The battery capacity is a healthy boost over the X100 Pro‘s 5,400mAh battery, but we hope the company did its homework to optimize battery life as the X100 Pro had mediocre endurance at first.

vivo X200: All of the horsepower, none of the extras

Like the idea of the X200 series but want something a little more affordable? Then the standard X200 might be for you, offering that Dimensity 9400 chip, a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED screen (2,800 x 1,260), and a 5,800mAh battery. The phone skips a couple of X200 Pro features though, namely wireless charging and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

The standard vivo X200 lags behind the Pro when it comes to camera capabilities too. Expect a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP 3x telephoto shooter (f/2.57, IMX882, macro support). Nevertheless, this is still a flexible rear camera system that should deliver good results on paper.

The X200 Pro starts at 5,299 yuan (~$748) for the base 12GB/256GB model and goes up to 6,799 yuan (~$959) for the 16GB/1TB satellite-equipped variant. Meanwhile, the X200 starts at 4,299 yuan (~$607) for the base 12GB/256GB variant. Both phones will be available in Sapphire Blue, Titanium Grey, Moonlight White, and Carbon Black color schemes.

Want a smaller flagship phone? Then the X200 Pro Mini will set you back 4,699 yuan (~$663) for the base 12GB/256GB variant, maxing out at 5,799 yuan (~$818) for the 16GB/1TB model. The Mini is available in Titanium Green, Light Pink, Plain White, and Simple Black.

Vivo confirmed to Android Authority that the X200 series will be available in global markets, but didn’t confirm a release timeline or which devices will launch outside China. We really hope the X200 Pro Mini comes to more locales as pocket-friendly flagship phones are a rarity.

The Xiaomi 14 is steadily approaching its one-year anniversary, which means its next iteration should be on the way. The Xiaomi 14 isn’t a bad phone by any means, but there’s always room for improvement. What will the company do to make the Xiaomi 15 a worthy successor to the 2023 model? When could the handset launch? Will the phone cost more or less this time around? If you’re looking for the answers to these questions and more, keep reading as we break down the latest rumors and leaks for the Xiaomi 15.

Considering this is the company’s flagship series, yes, there will be a Xiaomi 15. A Xiaomi exec has even confirmed the existence of the upcoming device. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra was also spotted on the EEC certification site. Although the Xiaomi 15 hasn’t officially been announced yet, we’ve already heard a few rumors about what to expect. One such rumor is that it will be the first Android phone to house a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip.

• Xiaomi 12 — March 15, 2022
• Xiaomi 13 — June 12, 2023
• Xiaomi 14 — February 25, 2024

The Xiaomi 15 series is coming eventually, but when? The Xiaomi exec mentioned earlier says we won’t have to wait until next year for the Xiaomi 15, suggesting a Chinese launch before the end of the year. An official-looking poster (via Smartprix) appears to put the Chinese launch on October 23. It’s believed this launch will include the base model and Pro, with the Ultra releasing some time later.

Until this year, the Chinese launch has always significantly differed from the global launch. Before now, the Xiaomi flagship has almost always launched in December, arriving outside of that country anywhere from a few months later to six months or more. However, the Xiaomi 14 saw a big change, as the brand announced the phone in October but didn’t release it until February for both the Chinese market and globally.

So we know when the phone could debut in China, but when will it launch globally? A leak from August alleges a January announcement for the global edition, with a launch that could happen during Mobile World Congress (MWC). Meanwhile, the Ultra was recently spotted by 91mobiles on the EEC certification site with the model number 25010PN30G, confirming its global launch. It’s suggested that the Ultra could make its debut in February, mirroring the company’s strategy from this year.

Based on what we know, if Xiaomi once again splits the domestic and global launch, it seems logical that Xiaomi would target February again, with a reveal of the Xiaomi 15 towards the end of the year in China. That’s just speculation though, for now. Of course, the United States has remained off the list of launch markets, and there’s no reason to expect any difference in 2025 with the Xiaomi 15.

That’s far from all we’ve heard about the Xiaomi 15 series. On June 18, we covered another report, further corroborating the earlier 5,000mAh battery rumor while also adding a few new details. It seems that the Xiaomi 15 won’t be the only phone with a battery upgrade, as the Pro will also get a similar boost. This report also claimed there might be variable aperture on the main camera for the base Xiaomi 15 while still retaining the same small footprint the series is known for.

Interestingly, a more recent leak on July 1 indicates the base Xiaomi 15 may have a 1.5K flat screen, which is smaller than the Xiaomi 14, a 50MP main camera with a wide aperture, and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. It will reportedly also offer wireless charging and have a lighter design. The same report also says the base Xiaomi 15 model may not have a variable aperture, despite the earlier claim.

In September, we received a new piece of information about the Pro’s charging speed, thanks to leaker Digital Chat Station. The tipster posted on Weibo that the Pro could support 90W fast charging.

Leaker Yogesh Brar summarized a bunch of rumors about the smaller Xiaomi 15. He mentions that the device could come with a 6.36-inch 1.5k flat AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. On the camera front, the device is expected to come with a Leica-branded 50MP OV50H sensor on the primary camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP 3.2x telephoto zoom camera. We can also expect to see a 5,500mAh battery, 90W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging, as well as IP68 water and dust resistance. The phone could come with HyperOS 2.0, based on Android 15.

Smartprix shared renders of the Xiaomi 15 Pro, which is expected to have a 6.78-inch 2K quad-curved AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC, up to 16GB RAM, and 1TB internal storage. The Leica-branded camera setup is said to comprise a 50MP 1/1.3-inch f/1.4 Light Fusion 900 series primary camera, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a new 50MP Sony IMX858 “telemacro” camera, as well as a 32MP selfie camera. The phone could have a 6,000mAh battery, 90W wired charging, 80W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The device is expected to come in Black, White, and Silver colors, alongside a Titanium edition. To top it off, Xiaomi is said to offer five years of Android updates for this IP68-rated phone.

More recently, Xiaomi’s Vice President was spotted holding a device widely presumed to be the upcoming Xiaomi 15 Pro. The device shows a periscope telephoto lens that isn’t expected to come on the smaller regular variant.

As for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra? Back in May, we also learned a tiny bit about it. The new phone will reportedly have a similar camera package as its predecessor, though we might see better performance from the telephoto lenses, with the images going from 10x to 30x this time around. Supporting this is a leak from August that claims the phone will have a quad-lens rear camera setup, like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. However, it’s said the primary sensor will be 200MP, which would be a big bump up from the 14 Ultra’s 50MP primary lens. As for the other cameras, they are rumored to be 50MP across the board.

Another report suggests that we could be in store for an upgraded Sony LYT-900 sensor and a 50MP selfie camera on the Ultra. While the phone is expected to stick with its dual zoom lens setup, including a ~3x and a ~5x, this improved zoom capability is likely to be achieved through a combination of a new 200MP telephoto sensor and in-sensor zoom technology. Lastly, the report claims the device will feature a 2K quad-curved display, a larger battery, and a premium design with ceramic and faux leather finishes.

Features

Details on features are scarce, but we are aware of at least one potential feature — hidden camera detection. It’s believed that the company is working on adding the technology to Hyper OS 2.0. According to the leak, the tool may use WLAN signals to detect any possible hidden cameras. Assuming the cameras are connected to the local Wi-Fi network, the phone could scan the network to identify suspicious devices.

Along with that, it’s said the Ultra could get a 4K Cinematic video mode and a boosted slow-motion feature. There’s also mention that the Ultra’s camera app will reportedly have a new 10x zoom button.

• Xiaomi 12 — Base: €849 (~$932), Pro: €1,049 (~$1,152)
• Xiaomi 13 — Base: €999 (~$1,097), Pro: €1,299 (~$1,427), Ultra: €1,499 (~$1,646)
• Xiaomi 14 — Base: €999 (~$1,097), Ultra: €1,499 (~$1,646)

At this point, we have a good deal of information on the specs. However, the story is a little different for the prices. There have yet to be any concrete leaks or rumors that hint at potential prices for any of the three models. As a result, the best we can do is draw an assumption by looking back at what the company charged in previous years.

In 2022, the Xiaomi 12 started at €849 (~$932) when it launched. The following year, to phone maker raised the price to €999 (~$1,097). Fortunately for consumers, the price stayed the same in 2024. As for the Pro, the price went up from €1,049 (~$1,152) to €1,299 (~$1,427) between 2022 and 2023, but the company did not globally launch a Pro in 2024. Meanwhile, the Ultra’s price stayed the same at €1,499 (~$1,646) between the years of 2023 and 2024.

Based on these trends, it’s possible there won’t be any price hikes for this generation. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if there was maybe a €100 increase given the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip and other improvements.

We still have plenty of time before the launch of the Xiaomi 15 series, so no, there’s no reason to wait for its successor. The Xiaomi 15 is shaping up to be a decent upgrade if rumors hold true, but there’s unlikely to be anything ground-shattering about it compared to the Xiaomi 14. Of course, if you’re looking for an alternative, there are quite a few options, including the ever-reliable Samsung Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon) and Google Pixel 9 ($999 at Amazon) lines.

Update: October 14, 2024 (08:10 AM ET): We have updated our Apple iPhone SE 4 rumor hub with a leaked case.

Apple’s iPhone SE range has long been the most affordable new iPhone series you can buy. Coming in at under $500, these handsets still bring a powerful processor, water resistance, and wireless charging.

The last iPhone SE model dropped in 2022, but we’re expecting Apple to announce a new model at some point. Unfortunately, all current rumors point to a 2025 launch, as it seems Apple is waiting a bit longer in between releases for its budget phone. The good news is the iPhone SE 4 should be a much bigger upgrade, as it’s suggested it will even adopt a new, more modern design.

Let’s jump right in and talk about what we know from the rumors!

Will there be an iPhone SE 4?

Apple hasn’t issued any sort of confirmation that it’s working on an iPhone SE (4th generation). There have been a number of leaks suggesting an iPhone SE 4 is likely in the works, but even these are far from a guarantee.

In saying so, the last two iPhone SE models were popular thanks to their sub-flagship price tags. So it seems like a foregone conclusion that Apple is working on a new model. When would it be released? That’s a tougher question.

• Apple iPhone SE: March 21, 2016
• Apple iPhone SE 2020: April 15, 2020
• Apple iPhone SE 2022: March 8, 2022

Apple launched the second iPhone SE in 2020 and the third model in 2022, so you’d assume that the iPhone SE (4th generation) would arrive in 2024.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case. We have already passed the Spring window in which we would have likely seen a new budget iPhone. Apple also launched the iPhone 16 series in September, and the SE model was nowhere to be seen. So the soonest we’re likely to see the iPhone SE 4 is Spring of 2025.

In that vein, a rumor from July 2024 strongly suggests we could see the iPhone SE 4 between March and May in 2025. This would make a lot of sense, as that’s where Apple likes to debut these phones, as you can see from the list above.

Bloomberg also reported in October that the new iPhone model is scheduled for launch in early 2025 alongside new iPad models.

For now, our money is on a March or April 2025 launch date.

What specs and features could the iPhone SE 4 have?

The iPhone SE 2022 has typically offered a flagship processor in a pocket-friendly form factor. Apple also brought a couple of premium extras to the series in recent years, namely wireless charging and water resistance.

We’ve seen an increase in iPhone SE 4 leaks in recent weeks and months, so here’s what we’ve gathered and what we think it’ll have.

The iPhone SE 2020 and 2022 both offered dated designs that were broadly in line with 2017’s iPhone 8 series. Will the company keep this design for the third time? Thankfully, all signs point to no.

Apple-watching analyst Ming Chi-Kuo previously claimed in February 2023 that the iPhone SE (4th generation) would have a 6.1-inch screen and would be a “minor modification” of the iPhone 14. This suggested a larger, more modern design was in store. The display size claim was echoed by The Elec in March 2023.

Of course, the analyst’s comments came before he suggested that the new iPhone SE wasn’t in the works for 2024. But it seems like a possibility that any screen size boost would be accompanied by a tweaked design of some kind — hopefully reducing the size of those bezels in particular.

While there weren’t many iPhone SE 4 leaks around design after that, March of 2024 brought us the first leaked renders, courtesy of 91Mobiles, as mirrored above. The renders indicate an iPhone 14-esque front, with a back that has a single rear camera. We can see the array of Face ID sensors in these, and also a USB-C port. Per these renders, the iPhone SE 4 is expected to have a 6.1-inch display, up from the iPhone SE 3’s 4.7-inch display. There’s a good chance that Apple is reusing the same shell for the iPhone SE 4 as the iPhone 14, as the device dimensions are said to be an identical 147.7 x 71.5 x 7.7mm.

If that’s not enough to convince you that a major redesign may be in the SE’s future, a leak in April from GSM Arena claims to have metallic case production dummies backing the above designs. A leaked specs table from July 2024 also corroborates these designs, so we’re feeling pretty confident about them.

The iPhone 14-inspired design was corroborated by Bloomberg too, which claimed it would ditch the home button and offer a display notch and thinner bezels.

Leaker Sonny Dickson shared case designs for the iPhone SE 4. These cases show off a longer camera island, possibly with a two-camera setup.

However, this doesn’t align with previously leaked renders, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Specs

We’ve already heard claims that the iPhone SE 4 will be equipped with a 6.1-inch screen, but it’s also believed that this could be an OLED panel. This would be the first time we see an OLED screen on an iPhone SE model, after years of Apple using an LCD panel instead. Backing up these claims, a report from The Elec says Apple’s suppliers have all proposed their prices for their OLED displays. It’s believed the iPhone SE 4 will reuse the iPhone 13’s or iPhone 14’s display. The switch to OLED was later corroborated by Nikkei Asia.

When the news of the OLED screen first broke, it was reported that there was a bidding war between Samsung, BOE, and Tianma to be Apple’s supplier. The Elec later reported BOE will be the primary supplier and LG Display has won the rights to be the secondary supplier.

Ming Chi-Kuo also claimed in February that the new device would pack an Apple-designed modem instead of a Qualcomm component. He asserted that this modem would only support sub-6GHz 5G for now instead of the faster but more temperamental mmWave standard. However, a July 2024 leak stated that Apple is still working on whether to drop Qualcomm for the iPhone SE 4.

9to5Mac made several claims in October 2024, and one of these assertions was that the new iPhone SE would have an in-house 5G modem after all. It also claimed that the phone would have a 48MP main camera (no ultrawide here) and a 12MP selfie shooter.

For context, Apple has been working on an in-house cellular modem for ages now, but this has proven to be a tough, protracted challenge. So we’re not sure if we’ll actually see it on the iPhone SE 4. It’s also worth noting that Qualcomm recently signed a new deal with Apple to offer Qualcomm modems inside iPhones in 2024, 2025, and 2026, so what’s really going on is anyone’s guess.

Twitter tipster Unknownz21 claimed the iPhone SE (4th generation) would get USB-C, Face ID, and a single rear camera. This would be the first time we see face unlock on an iPhone SE model.

MacRumors issued its own slew of apparent iPhone SE 4 details. It corroborated claims of an OLED panel, USB-C, and Face ID. It also asserted that the new iPhone would offer a 48MP single rear camera. The outlet confirmed that Apple was testing variants of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone SE 4 with custom modems. But the iPhone 15 Pro Max shipped with a Qualcomm modem, so these variants are presumably for internal testing only.

The choice of chipset isn’t known just yet, but all three iPhone SE models used the same processor as the latest mainline iPhones at the time. That means the original model used the A9 chip inside the iPhone 6S series, while the second-generation iPhone SE used the A13 chip inside the iPhone 11 range. Finally, the iPhone SE 2022 used the A15 processor which debuted in the iPhone 13 series.

That means the iPhone SE 4 will use whatever chipset the latest, commercially available mainline iPhones are using, right? Not so fast. Apple has made the decision to effectively split the mainline iPhone series in half, with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus stuck with 2022’s A16 Bionic chip while the iPhone 15 Pro models got the 2023 A17 Pro processor. So we think there’s a possibility that the iPhone SE model could be lumped with an older (but still beefy) chipset as well.

Nevertheless, 9to5Mac‘s October report points to the iPhone SE 4 packing an Apple A18 chip. That’s encouraging news for features like Apple Intelligence.

Other specs aren’t forthcoming from trusted sources just yet, but we’d imagine that a display size bump could also be accompanied by a battery capacity increase.

• Apple iPhone SE 2016: $399
• Apple iPhone SE 2020: $399
• Apple iPhone SE 2022: $429

The first two iPhone SE models were pegged at a great price of $399, but the iPhone SE 2022 had a $30 price hike to a still-attractive $429. We’d love to see Apple maintaining this price tag, but we’re not optimistic.

Plenty of Android phone makers upped their prices in the last year or so due to inflation and other factors. Apple did bring a price increase for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, too, so it seems likely that the iPhone SE (4th generation) could receive a price bump.

Adding credence to this idea, a July 2024 leak suggested Apple could go anywhere from $499 to $549 for this new phone. However, we think Apple would want to do whatever it can to keep the iPhone SE 4 under the $500 mark to keep it appealing for shoppers who think the $799 entry point for the mainline iPhones is too much.

This will likely be the last bit of information we find out, so we have quite a ways to go before we’ll know for sure.

The fact that there is no solid word on an iPhone SE 4 release means you could be waiting for a very long time for the new model to break cover. So we wouldn’t advise you to wait for this phone.

There are a few budget-conscious options if you’re an Apple fan, such as the iPhone 14 ($604 at Amazon) or the iPhone SE 2022 ($429 at Amazon). These phones still provide a high-performance experience with a couple of premium bells and whistles. And of course, you’re buying into the Apple ecosystem of services.

Otherwise, there are plenty of great options in the Android space, such as the Google Pixel 8a ($499 at Amazon) and the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G ($387 at Amazon). Both phones bring respectable update pledges and water resistance. But the Pixel 8a also brings flagship-level cameras, the very capable Tensor G3 chip, and wireless charging.

Samsung recently shared plans to unify its software experience across all product categories to offer users a more cohesive ecosystem. As part of this change, the company intends to update the software for its TVs and home appliances to One UI and offer seven years of software upgrades to the devices. Although Samsung initially said that this change was scheduled for sometime next year, it has already started rolling out the One UI update for its smart TVs.

The One UI update for TVs is based on Samsung’s Tizen 8.0 operating system. According to Sammobile, the update includes several interface changes that bring it in line with the One UI experience on Samsung smartphones, including new app icons and animations. It introduces a new Game Bar interface with a host of additional features, new tabs on the home screen to help users easily find content, and wallpaper and widget support for the standby screen.

One UI for Samsung TVs also brings a more compact Settings overlay that gives you quick access to frequently used settings and some much-needed design changes that give the Settings menu a more modern look. The complete update changelog is reproduced below.

Changelog:

• [Notify Update]
  • This upgrade includes changes and improvements as listed below.
  • The exact changes may differ depending on your device model, country, etc.
  • Some of the features that change may require you to sign in to a Samsung account.
  • Please keep your device up to date and regularly check for software updates.
  • Once you install this version of the OS, you cannot uninstall or revert back to the previous version.
• [Samsung Tizen OS Updated]
  • Samsung Tizen OS version Ingrade from 7 to & including open-sources and new features.
  • Upgrading the web engine from version 94 to 108 in Samsung Tizen OS 8.0
• [Home Screen]
  • For you tab (personalised recommendations), Live tab and Apps tab have been implemented, allowing easy access to the content and apps you want.
• [Watch Later]
  • The “Watch Later” feature has been added to the content details screen, enabling users to save preferred content in a Watch Later list and enjoy it conveniently.
• [Samsung Daily+]
  • A lifestyle service hub that provides useful daily life experiences has been added to the Home screen.
• [Search]
  • Recently searched content and related content have been implemented as recommendations.
• [Multi Control]
  • You can control multiple Samsung devices signed in with the same Samsung account using the same keyboard and mouse.
• [Workout Tracker]
  • By connecting your Galaxy Watch, real-time workout data, including calorie consumption and heart rate, can be monitored. For more details, refer to the guide available on Daily+.
• [Remote Setting/123/Color Button]
  • Based on usage history and present circumstances, tailored channel and setting recommendations can be provided.
• [SmartThings]
  • loT cameras can be used through the Smart Things app on mobile devices
• [Accessibility]
  • The Accessibility Shortcut can rearrange its options according to usage frequency.
• [Programme Guide]
  • The design has been updated to enhance user convenience and “Samsung TV Plus” has been added as a new category.
• [On-screen keypad]
  • Supported languages have been expanded. The mouse Drag & Drop feature has been enhanced, and when a mobile device is connected, the input pad will be displayed on the mobile screen automatically.
• [Game Bar]
  • The game bar interface has been changed to the latest design.
• [Multi View]
  • Zoom in screens on request. When mirroring a mobile device, you can use keyboard and mouse controls.
• [Daily Board]
  • With Daily Board, you can decorate the screen with beautiful wallpapers and useful widgets – even when the screen is off.
• [ConnecTime]
  • New features include video calls, messaging, and mobile screen sharing for TV and mobile.
• [Security update]
  • Enhanced data protection measures have been implemented (Samsung account sign-in required.
• [Q-Symphony]
  • Wi-Fi Speaker Surround Setup has been upgraded to Q-Symphony, enabling connection to the Music Frame.
• [Notice of change in supported apps]
  • Certain apps may not be compatible with Samsung Tizen OS 8.0. Check compatibility with app providers before upgrading your device.

While the new One UI update for TVs has started reaching users just a few days after Samsung’s announcement, the latest One UI update for smartphones won’t arrive until early next year. The company has confirmed that One UI 7 based on Android 15 will debut with the Galaxy S25 series, but a beta build should reach users by the end of the year.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is Samsung’s most recent book-style foldable. Although it is an upgrade over its predecessor, increased competition among the top foldables has left fans wanting more from Samsung. The company has long been rumored to work on a second Fold 6 version, said to be called the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition, which would feature more upgrades than the standard edition. We now have renders of an upcoming phone, and there’s a chance it could be our first look at the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition.

The render above shows the rear of a device with a three-camera setup. We can see the raised camera island and the individual camera rings, which add further thickness to the device.

The second render is a thin, long crop of the device’s side. We see two buttons here, presumably the volume rocker and the power button, on a rose-gold-colored mid-frame with some texturing. The mid-frame looks thin and flat, and the corners have a tight curvature.

There’s no word from Evan on what this device is or whether these two renders are of the same device. However, we presume they could be of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition (previously rumored to be called the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim) for South Korea, which is further rumored to be branded as the Samsung W25 in China.

Previous leaks have mentioned that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could have a wider cover display, a less noticeable crease, S Pen support, a thinner body, a 200MP primary camera, and more. We expect to hear more about the device this month as leaked promotional materials have indicated a release on October 18, 2024, with open sales beginning from October 25, 2024, in these select regions.

What do you think of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition? Are you ready to pay a premium for it over the standard Galaxy Z Fold 6? Let us know in the comments below!

Apple announced the iPhone 16 series last month, and one of the standout features is its so-called Camera Control shutter button. Now, OPPO has confirmed that its upcoming Find X8 series will support a similar camera button.

OPPO Find series product manager Zhou Yibao confirmed on Weibo that the Find X8 series supports a pressure-sensitive camera shutter button, posting a video (seen above) to show it in action. The executive said you can double-tap the button to quickly launch the camera app and that the key’s pressure-sensitive nature means you don’t need to press the button hard to take photos.

What else can you do with this camera button?

Apple’s button also supports swipe-based gestures for controlling camera zoom and other functions, and it turns out OPPO’s button supports swiping to zoom as well. Interestingly, OPPO’s video shows that all the Find X8 camera button features work underwater too, including the swipe functionality.

Zhou also explained OPPO’s reasons for including a camera shutter button in the first place. The executive pointed to the aforementioned underwater use case, explaining that you can’t use your phone screen underwater. So having this camera button will allow you to easily take underwater snaps and control zoom.

He also acknowledged that virtually every smartphone lets you take photos with the volume buttons, but claimed that “more than 95% of people” don’t know about this option. I’m not sure about that figure, though. He added that the volume button doesn’t support taking photos and camera zoom, forcing you to choose between the two features.

In any event, we’re expecting the OPPO Find X8 Pro, in particular, to be a strong contender for the best camera phone when it launches later this month. The phone is tipped to offer a quad rear camera system, featuring four 50MP cameras. Much like the Find X7 Ultra, the X8 Pro is expected to offer a 50MP 3x camera and a 50MP 6x periscope lens. The Find X8 series is also expected to launch in global markets in 2025, so we’re definitely keen to get our hands on these devices and try out that camera button too.

The Nintendo DS played a huge part in my teen years, providing much more complex games and experiences than its predecessor, the Game Boy Advance. However, I’ve since moved to a different continent, leaving behind my DS and games.

For years, the state of Nintendo DS emulators meant revisiting the handheld console on other platforms was pretty hit or miss, but I’m happy to say that there’s at least one very, very good Nintendo DS emulator on Android. However, you’d better download it fast because it might not last for long.

Yes, I’m talking about DraStic DS Emulator. It’s been the best Nintendo DS emulator on Android for close to a decade now, achieving performance levels that its competitors couldn’t even dream of.

It’s insane how well this works, even on aging or weak hardware. These days I do most of my emulation on a Galaxy S24 (Exynos 2400 version), but I’ve been using this emulator for years and little has changed, so you can expect great performance on just about any modern device, even cheap ones.

And that’s really the biggest downside of this emulator — it’s no longer under active development. The development team behind it has had a bumpy road, to say the least, with the main person responsible for the Android port going AWOL in 2017. Still, at that point most of the rough edges had been smoothed out.

Every game I’ve tested worked great, although there are a few missing quality-of-life features that more modern DS emulators have added. For example, you can’t load ROMs from an SD card natively, and the cloud save options are pretty dated. It does have all of the basic features you’d expect, like controller support, cheats, savestates, and more, so ultimately, I didn’t miss much.

In bittersweet news, the app is now completely free to download. This comes in the wake of Nintendo shutting down Yuzu and a few emulation sites. The developer has teased making DraStic open-source for years, but as of this writing, it still hasn’t happened.

In other words, download this while you still can because it could disappear anytime.

Of course, it’s been years since DraStic DS Emulator has been actively under development, and other options have steadily gotten better. None of them are as good, but at the very least, if DraStic is suddenly pulled off the Play Store, retro gamers won’t be left entirely in the lurch.

The first decent alternative is MelonDS. It’s an unofficial port of the open-source PC emulator, but it has a few features that other emulators (including DraStic) don’t have, starting with DSi support. It also supports RetroAchievements, which is great news for more hardcore retro gamers.

It’s still in beta, but my early testing shows a lot of promise. Games run just as well on MelonDS as on DraStic, at least on more powerful devices. It’s also more likely to see updates than any other Nintendo DS emulator on Android, although the last update was nearly a year ago. Unfortunately, that’s pretty recent as far as Android DS emulators go.

You can also use an all-in-one emulation platform like RetroArch, Lemuroid, or EmuBox. These use Libretro cores for emulation, so you can choose from MelonDS or DeSmuME. DeSmuME has been around for years and has lots of added features, but I still prefer MelonDS. Just be aware that the Libretro core might lag behind the standalone emulator for a while.

There’s one final Nintendo DS emulator on Android that I’ll tentatively recommend, and that’s SuperNDS Emulator. One plus is that it has a free version to see how it works on your device, but the free version is riddled with ads. I couldn’t even access my list of ROMs on startup without a lengthy, unskippable ad.

The good news is that there’s a pro version to eliminate those ads, and it’s just three bucks. That’s three bucks more than DraStic and MelonDS though, both of which are ad-free and offer better performance. Paying might encourage the developer to update the app more frequently, but for my money (or no money), I’d stick with DraStic.

The HONOR Magic 6 Pro was one of the best Android phones of 2024 in terms of hardware, delivering plenty of cutting-edge features. We already know the Magic 7 series is coming, and a company executive has now issued a launch date.

HONOR CEO George Zhao announced on Weibo today (October 14) that the HONOR Magic 7 series phones would launch on October 30. The executive shared a poster for the event — check out the machine-translated version below.

Zhao also noted that its Magic OS 9.0 software will be released on October 23. Fingers crossed that this software will be available on devices in global markets before the end of the year.

What should we expect from the Magic 7 series, though?

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor is all but guaranteed as these phones have always used the latest flagship Snapdragon chipsets. HONOR was also the first major brand to adopt silicon-carbon batteries in its phones, so we’re expecting a large battery that’s at least on par with the Magic 6 Pro’s 5,600mAh capacity.

In any event, we praised the Magic 6 Pro’s battery life, camera hardware, video features, and performance. However, we criticized the phone for its poor USB-PD support, “cluttered” Magic OS skin, and a hit-and-miss 180MP telephoto camera. We therefore hope the company has addressed all of these weaknesses with its new phones.

This October 30 launch is almost certainly a China-only affair. HONOR tends to release its mainline Magic flagships outside China in Q1 each year, so you might have to wait a few months if you want to officially get your hands on the Magic 7 series.

It’s also worth noting that the HONOR Magic 7 series won’t be the first next-generation Android flagships to launch. Vivo will reveal its X200 series of phones later today (October 14), while the OPPO Find X8 series will be launched on October 24. However, both OPPO and vivo’s phones will be powered by the Dimensity 9400 chipset. So HONOR’s phones could be the first to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 silicon if Xiaomi doesn’t beat it to the punch.

Most Android flagships ship with the Google Play Store out of the box, so it is natural for the platform to evolve into the premier destination for exploring apps and games on these devices. Google does a lot of work to protect users on the Play Store while balancing the interests of app developers who choose to list their apps on the platform. App developers are advised to create detailed and rich app listings to give the user as much information as possible before a download. However, the trade-off is that the app listing becomes too long, and the Install button is no longer in sight. An upcoming Google Play Store change could fix this by making the Install button a permanent part of the app listing.

Google Play Store v43.1.19 includes code that indicates Google is working on fixing the header in place on an app listing. We managed to activate the feature, so here’s a better look at it.

As you can see in the video above, a future update to the Google Play Store will affix the header at the top of the screen while you scroll the app listing.

The header consists of several key app details, such as the app icon and name, the developer name, its Play Store average rating, and whether it contains ads (mentioned twice for some reason). There’s also an Install button to quickly install the app on the device you are viewing the listing on and a dropdown to let you install that app on your other devices. This header remains visible and accessible at all times.

This header also stays in place for app updates where some details are not present (and don’t need to be). The important detail here is that the Update button remains visible and accessible at all times, irrespective of your scroll position.

Why this change, though, you ask? We can offer a possible theory for this. For one, app store listings are long, and informed users do end up sifting through a lot of details, like reviews, data safety, etc., before downloading an app, especially if it is a paid app or if they are comparing multiple alternatives.

It’s no secret that if you want great conversion (converting a “potential customer” to a “customer”), your call-to-action should remain easily accessible at all times. A long app store listing is great for informing the user about the app, but in a way, it penalizes the app developer for being transparent and proactive, as the call-to-action (the Install button, in this case) is left behind at the very top of the app listing. The more you have to scroll, the more potential customers the developer would lose, as users would find it easier to navigate away from the app listing than to scroll back to the top of the listing for the Install button.

A fixed header for the Install button would thus make it easier for a user to install the app after checking out its details and consequently improve conversion for developers who take the pains for a detailed and rich app listing.

We don’t know when Google will roll out this change to all users. We’ll keep you informed when we learn more.

For a few years, Google has positioned its Pixel smartphones as the go-to choice for AI features. But the recent boom in AI tools like ChatGPT has led other smartphone brands to follow suit too. The recent release of Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 series stands to further threaten Google’s ambitions of leading the AI space. The search giant still has a numbers advantage, though, with the entire Android ecosystem at its disposal. So unsurprisingly, we’re now starting to see Google’s Gemini Nano AI model on more and more devices, including Samsung and Xiaomi phones.

So what does Gemini Nano achieve on Android and should your next smartphone support it? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Gemini Nano and why does it matter?

Gemini Nano is Google’s smallest AI model designed specifically to run directly on smartphones like the Pixel 9 series. Specifically, it’s a large language model that excels at text-based tasks — it can suggest replies for chat conversations, draft messages, and more. Recent Gemini Nano releases are also multimodal, meaning it can understand images and audio. However, it’s not as capable as a full language model either — you can’t directly talk to Gemini Nano like you would with ChatGPT or the standalone Gemini app. The latter is Google’s AI chatbot that’s accessible on any device.

The advantage of Gemini Nano is that it runs on-device, which means it does not send any data to Google’s servers for processing. In fact, Gemini Nano will work offline even if you don’t have an active internet connection. This translates to faster response times and better privacy, since most online AI platforms use your data to train future models.

Gemini Nano is specifically optimized for mobile hardware, but it still takes up some memory as it has to run in the background. This is why the Pixel 9 series ships with 16GB of RAM — a sizable chunk is reserved for AI models like Gemini Nano. Modern chipsets like the Tensor G4 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also have neural processing units (NPUs) to efficiently run such AI models.

With Gemini Nano support now extending beyond the Pixel lineup, Google’s goal is to make AI capabilities a core part of the Android experience. However, we may only see the model supported on premium phones given the relatively higher processing requirements. You can find a full list of devices with Gemini Nano support below.

Gemini Nano features: What do you get?

The list of Gemini Nano features will differ depending on your device, but here’s a quick rundown of what the model is capable of. We’re starting to see more and more features trickle down to other devices, but chances are that you’ll need a modern phone with powerful enough hardware to ever see Gemini Nano support.

While smartphone keyboards have offered next-word suggestions for over a decade, Google added experimental Gemini Nano support to Gboard for “smart replies” with “conversational awareness”. In simpler terms, the keyboard now uses AI to suggest replies based on the text of your chats. The feature works within WhatsApp, Line, and KakaoTalk, but is limited to US English for now.

The Pixel Recorder app relies on Gemini Nano to offer AI-generated summaries of audio recordings. On the Pixel 8 series, the model could only summarize around fifteen minutes of audio. However, Google’s latest Pixel 9 series includes a newer version of the model that allows for summaries of recordings over half an hour long.

The Galaxy AI suite also includes a similar AI summarization feature in Samsung’s Voice Recorder app. However, it relies on Google’s larger Gemini Pro model that can only run in the cloud. The upside is that Samsung’s competing feature can handle hours-long recordings at the expense of privacy and speed.

Magic Compose is a feature within the Google Messages app that uses Gemini Nano to generate suggested replies based on the last 20 messages in a conversation. It offers various writing styles like Formal, Excited, Chill, and even Shakespearean, allowing you to adjust the tone of the AI-generated responses.

Introduced with the Pixel 9 series, the Pixel Screenshots app uses Gemini Nano to extract and identify important information from past screenshots. The app offers a search bar so you can ask for specific details like a recipe you saved or an address from a friend’s chat in plain English instead of scrolling through a list of unorganized screenshots.

Since all of the AI processing takes place offline, you get near-immediate results even with thousands of screenshots in your gallery.

5. TalkBack

TalkBack, Android’s accessibility feature, is getting a boost thanks to Gemini Nano’s multimodal abilities. It provides rich and detailed descriptions of images, allowing users with blindness or low vision to understand what’s on their screen.

Unlike TalkBack’s older model, which only offered simple descriptions, Gemini Nano can identify specific landmarks or details. You can think of it as a reverse AI image generator, meaning it can offer useful results like “A panoramic view of Sydney Opera House at night.”

As you may have guessed from the name, this is an AI integration within Google’s dedicated Weather app. Prior to the Pixel 9’s release, tapping on the weather forecast would take you to the Google app. However, the Pixel Weather app offers more data, better widgets, a smoother UI, and support for Gemini Nano.

Why would you need an on-device AI to know the weather? The idea is that Gemini Nano generates a short summary of the upcoming weather at the top of the app, saving you the trouble of reading through the expected precipitation, temperature, and other forecast numbers. It can also take additional factors such as UV index and air quality index into account, giving you well-rounded information at a glance.

Call Notes is another Pixel-exclusive feature that debuted alongside the Pixel 9 series. The feature records your phone calls and then employs Gemini Nano to generate a summary of the conversation. However, you’ll need to manually activate the feature for each phone call that you’d like to record and summarize. The other party will hear an audible message that says “Google Call Notes is on. The call is recorded.” Galaxy AI offers a similar feature, which also processes recordings offline.

Gemini Nano made its debut exclusively on the Pixel 8 Pro, but it has slowly made its way to more devices, including several non-Google ones. Here’s a list of devices that support Gemini Nano:

We expect future premium smartphones to include Gemini Nano support especially since regular apps on your phone will soon be able to take advantage of the AI model. Google has streamlined the process of downloading and updating the Gemini Nano model via AICore, which also provides an interface to third-party developers. In early 2024, Google said that it provided an early access preview to companies like Adobe and Grammarly to incoporate the on-device model within their apps. This could allow a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat to generate AI summaries without an internet connection.