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OnePlus 9 Pro could have super-fast 45W wireless charging
The phone is also expected to support reverse wireless charging
OnePlus was extremely late to the wireless charging party, as last year's OnePlus 8 Pro was the company's first phone to support the feature. It could wirelessly charge at up to 30W, the same speed as a wired connection, but only if you had the separate Warp Charge dock. According to a new rumor, the upcoming OnePlus 9 Pro could bump that up to a blisteringly-fast 45W.
OnePlus teases future fitness band with heart-rate and sleep tracking
Smartwatches are still in the plans
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OnePlus revealed earlier this month that it will release a smartwatch in 2021, though it's still unclear if it will use Google's Wear OS platform or custom-built software (like Huawei and Samsung's wearables). However, a cheaper fitness band might reach the finish line before a full-blown OnePlus smartwatch is ready.
Samsung has produced a few foldable phones so far, and its second attempt was the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip. Ever since the updated model with a faster processor and 5G support was released in August, the original has been falling in price, and now you can get one for $971.61 on Amazon.The original Galaxy Z Flip has a Snapdragon 855+ chipset, 8GB RAM, 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage (with no microSD card slot), a 3,300mAh battery with Qi wireless charging, two rear cameras (12MP main + 12MP ultra-wide), a 10MP selfie camera, and no headphone jack. The main selling point is the extremely-tall 6.7-inch 2636x1080 AMOLED screen, which folds in half. You can read our full review here.
You can buy the phone from Amazon at the link below. As of when this article was published, the Mirror Purple and Mirror Black colors are in stock.Buy: Amazon
OnePlus 7/7T series and Nord are next in line for OxygenOS 11
It's also the end of the road for the OnePlus 5 and 5T
OnePlus used to be known for speedy Android updates, but those days have long since passed. While Samsung has already started updating most of its recent flagships to Android 11, the same update has only arrived on two OnePlus phones (the 8 and 8T). OnePlus has now shared a status report on the OxygenOS 11 rollout, providing a rough timeline for the months ahead.
The original Xiaomi-developed Pocophone was a surprise hit when it launched in 2018, offering almost everything you would expect from a flagship phone at a ~$300 price point (though it didn't really work in the United States). More phones have been released under the Poco brand since then, but there hasn't been a direct sequel to the original F1. Rumors about a possible Poco F2 have been circulating for a while, and now Xiaomi has confirmed it's on the way.
Android 11 rolls out widely to US unlocked Galaxy S20 series
One UI 3.0 for Samsung's main 2020 flagships
Slowly but surely, Samsung is rolling out its Android 11 update (also known as One UI 3.0) across its product lineup. In the United States, most carrier variants of the Galaxy S20 series started receiving the OS upgrade in December, and now the carrier-unlocked models are joining the party.
Samsung released a few different audio products in 2020, but none were as amusing as the Galaxy Buds Live. The distinctive design of Samsung's latest outer-ear buds led to many calling them "the beans," and now you can pick up a refurbished pair for $85 off the typical new price.
Get the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook with a 4K screen for $500 ($100 off)
128GB of storage and a 4K IPS touchscreen could be yours
Lenovo has been producing Chromebooks for many years at this point, but the company only recently became interested in selling high-end models. One of those is the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630, which is now available from the company's online store for $499.99. That's a $100 discount from the price a few days ago, and $400 off the original retail price of $899.99.
TWRP v3.5 lands with more Android 10 enhancements, adds 16 devices to official roster
TWRP is splitting up development into two branches
TeamWin Recovery Project, or TWRP for short, is a custom recovery partition often used together with custom ROMs and/or rooting. It can help you create full device backups, install new ROMs, and troubleshoot broken software. TWRP v3.4 was released in June with limited Android 10 support, and now TWRP 3.5 is rolling out to all supported devices.
Google bends over backwards to teach how to make an origami Bugdroid
Break out your leftover wrapping paper
Android's mascot throughout its whole history has been everyone's favorite green robot, unofficially dubbed the Bugdroid. Google might have stopped creating fun mascot statues to commemorate new OS releases, but the Android team has started off 2021 with a tutorial video for creating an origami Bugdroid.
Huawei has spent the past year struggling to produce new products, after most of its component supplies were cut off by trade sanctions from the United States. Even though the company just sold off its Honor sub-division and hasn't quite finished its HarmonyOS Android fork, Huawei is pushing forward with a new flagship phone.
Samsung's next flagship phones have already leaked a few times, but not much has been shared officially about the upcoming Galaxy S21 series. That has finally changed, as Samsung has the first teaser for the new devices on the company's YouTube channel.
LG Wing receives system update with new screen-swapping features
Making the most of the Wing's two screens
The LG Wing is one of the weirder phones released lately, with a swiveling design that yields two usable screens (though one is smaller than the other). LG is still working on new ways to utilize the dual-display layout, and now an update going out to Verizon subscribers includes some of the company's new ideas.
Eero Pro 6 review, one month later: The solution to all your Wi-Fi problems
Amazon's latest high-end mesh system is a force to be reckoned with
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Millions of people transitioning to working from home this year has led to more than a few problems. Products like webcams and laptops have been in short supply, and home Wi-Fi networks are pushed to their breaking point with dozens of connected devices, Zoom calls, Netflix sessions, and email threads. In most cases, a mesh router is the best way to build a home network that deals with these new demands.Amazon just released its latest mesh Wi-Fi routers: the dual-band Eero 6, and the tri-band Eero Pro 6. Both systems support Wi-Fi 6, WPA-3, and other recent innovations in networking, complete with a simple management application. I received the Pro 6 for review, and it's an incredible system if you can afford it.
Get the first-gen Microsoft Surface Headphones for $135 ($115 off)
A solid deal for headphones with ANC
Microsoft's first shot at over-hear headphones became the aptly-named Surface Headphones, and they received mostly-positive reviews. They have since been replaced with a sequel, but now you can get the original model for just $134.99 — a savings of $115 from the typical price (back when it was still readily in stock).
Google found its last crate of unsold Home Max speakers, and you can buy one for $179
This might be your last chance to get Google's big boi smart speaker
Google confirmed earlier this month that it discontinued the large Home Max smart speaker. The company now recommends people buy two Nest Audio speakers and connect them in stereo mode for a similar experience, but if you still want the real deal, Google has now restocked the Home Max for possibly the last time.
Samsung's Galaxy A71 5G is now just $400 ($100 off) on Amazon
128GB storage, AMOLED screen, and 5G support in one cheap(ish) package
Samsung has released a handful of excellent budget phones this year, one of them being the A71 5G. We gave it an 8/10 in our review for its great screen and extensive list of features, and now you can pick one up from Amazon for only $399.99. That's $100 off the recent price, and $200 below the original MSRP.The Galaxy A71 5G model on sale is powered by a Snapdragon 765G chipset, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage (with microSD expansion), a large 6.7-inch 2400x1080 AMOLED screen, and a 4,500mAh battery. It has four rear cameras (64MP main + 5MP depth + 5MP macro + 12MP ultra-wide), but as with most budget phones, capturing excellent photos from the secondary lenses is a challenge.
Samsung is currently shipping the A71 5G with Android 10/One UI 2.0, and it will receive threee more years of OS updates (and possibly longer for security patches). An update to Android 11 is in development right now, but it's not clear when the finished version will start rolling out. We have a full review of the A71 5G right here, if you're on the fence.Buy: Amazon
The Galaxy S21 series is almost upon us, but Samsung's 2020 lineup is still an excellent buy, especially with Android 11 now rolling out. Now you can get the Galaxy S20 Ultra for $1,050, a savings of $150 from the usual price, and $350 lower than the original MSRP.Samsung's S20 Ultra is equipped with a huge 6.9-inch 3200x1440 AMOLED 120Hz screen, quadruple rear camera array (12MP ultra-wide + 108MP wide-angle + 48MP telephoto + depth sensor), a Snapdragon 865 SoC, 12-16GB RAM (depending on the model), and 5,000mAh battery. The phone shipped with Android 10, but everyone with it should receive Android 11 soon, if they haven't already. Check out our full review here for more details.
You can get the S20 Ultra from Amazon at the first link below. Best Buy is also selling the S20 Ultra for the same price, but only if you activate it on a carrier during the checkout process. If you don't activate it, it's $50 more.Buy: Amazon, Best Buy
OnePlus Nord gets December security patches in latest update
Indian buyers also get a new 'OnePlus Store' app
OnePlus updates most of its phones on a bi-monthly schedule, but even in months where a certain model does receive security patches, the OTA usually comes in a month (or more) after Google publicized the fixes. Sure enough, the OnePlus Nord is now receiving its December 2020 security patches with only a few days left before January.
Enpass introduces new Premium features, irking Pro users who already paid
Premium subscribers can now be notified of account data breaches and 2FA support
Enpass has been a popular password manager for years, best known for syncing passwords across devices without storing them in a central server. The service added a subscription option last year to fund continued development, and now the first Premium-exclusive functionality has arrived, much to the chagrin of folks who paid for the Pro app in the past.