smartphones
Latest
Report: MediaTek takes over as world's largest smartphone chipset vendor
Move over, Qualcomm: According to a new report from research firm Counterpoint, MediaTek has overtaken the San Diego-based chipmaker to become the world’s biggest vendor of smartphone chipsets by market share. While Qualcomm (understandably) held onto its title as the biggest purveyor of 5G-friendly chipsets, Counterpoint’s data suggests that more than 100 million MediaTek-powered smartphones were sold in Q3 2020 — a roughly five percent increase compared to this time last year. Counterpoint’s report added some valuable context to MediaTek’s most recent earnings release, in which it reported revenues of NT$97,275 million — a boost of nearly 50 percent over the year-ago quarter.
Microsoft Authenticator can now store and autofill mobile device passwords
Microsoft’s Authenticator on mobile will soon be updated with password management and autofill capabilities, the company announced.
LG plans to outsource more of its low-end and mid-range phones
The in-house mobile team will focus on premium devices.
ICYMI: Catch up on a busy week of console and phone reviews
All the gadgets we've reviewed this week, including the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
MediaTek's latest Chromebook chipsets balance battery life and power
The company also announced an addition to its lineup of mobile 5G CPUs.
OnePlus deal bundles two 8T phones and wireless Buds for $1,123
If you’ve been thinking about getting a OnePlus 8T or other OnePlus device for yourself (and possibly a good friend), the company has a good deal for today only.
SmartThings Find app can track down lost Samsung Galaxy devices
Samsung has unveiled SmartThings Find, an app that uses a variety of technologies to locate your phone even if there’s no cell or WiFi signal.
UK will ban mobile carriers from selling locked handsets in 2021
Mobile operators in the UK will be banned from selling smartphones locked to their networks, according to the regulator Ofcom.
Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro is another powerful flagship that you won't buy
The Mate 40 Pro has fantastic images and buckets of power, but you already know why it's not a realistic purchase.
Apple's iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max have larger screens and steel cases
With the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, the company is basically doing the same thing.
New Android feature alerts you to smoke alarms and other 'critical' sounds
Google has been adding a few new accessibility features to its products lately and today’s update is something for those who might want help hearing things around them. If you don’t see the Sound Notifications option yet, you may have to download Live Transcribe and Sound Notifications from the Play Store. After you set it up, Sound Notifications will warn you when it hears any of ten noises, including “baby sounds, water running, smoke and fire alarms, appliances beeping and door knocking.”
The OnePlus 8 is $100 off ahead of OnePlus 8T launch
OnePlus is gearing up to launch its next flagship in October, so it’s no surprise that prices for the existing generation are starting to fall. The OnePlus 8 is currently $100 off on Amazon and the company’s own website, with the 128GB model now going for $599 instead of $699. The 256GB configuration is now $699 instead of $799, and this appears to be the only model available on Amazon at the moment.
Google Assistant wants to shake up your boring pandemic routine
Google has a new Assistant routine that will remind you of the passage of time as you continue to work from home.
MWC 2021 has been pushed back to late June
The 2020 Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona was one of the first tech casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the February date canceled after a lot of debate. The next event was ambitiously scheduled for March of 2021, but that event has now been postponed as well. The GSMA, the industry association behind MWC, has announced that it will now be now be held from June 28th to July 1st, 2021.
Outlook for iOS and Android is getting better voice controls
As part of the slew of news from its Ignite conference today, Microsoft announced some changes coming to its Outlook app for iOS and Android. Voice controls are getting expanded so you can dictate short emails or call a contact from the app, in addition to being able to speak search terms as you could do before. You’ll also see suggested replies in emails where Microsoft detects a request for a meeting.
Android Go 11 squeezes more performance from modern budget phones
Now that Android 11 has dropped, Google has unveiled Android 11 Go Edition with the aim of speeding up entry-level smartphones. Many of the changes are designed to take advantage of improved features on modern budget devices like larger screens, dual cameras, more RAM and extra storage .
Android 11 is here and brings built-in screen recording at last
Months after the Android 11 beta was released in June, the final version is finally here and ready to roll out to consumer devices.
Android 11 review: An incremental update that needs some polish
And, honestly I found the lock screen controls more convenient. Obviously I haven’t used Android 11 long enough for that to happen yet, but I appreciate it in theory. Android 11 is here, three months after the first public beta was released in June.
Podcast: Galaxy Z Fold 2, NVIDIA RTX 3000 and Intel's 11th-gen CPUs
It's been an intense week for those covering tech news and on this episode of the Engadget Podcast, we dive into Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, NVIDIA's new RTX chips, Intel's latest processors and a slew of IFA announcements.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be available on September 18th for $2,000
When Samsung teased its third foldable phone at Unpacked earlier this month, it didn’t reveal much beyond quick specs like screen and battery sizes, explaining that more details were coming. Today, the company is sharing all the information about the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which will be available on September 18th starting at $1,999. Samsung explained to press during a briefing that this folding screen will not support the S Pen, so fans of the stylus won’t be able to use it here.