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OnePlus 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 FE: The fan-favourite just about has the edge
Samsung's lesser flagship of 2020 still packs a punch
OnePlus smartphones aren't as easy to recommend as they used to be, and the OnePlus 9 is no different. There are a few compromises when compared to its more expensive sibling — the frame is polycarbonate, the primary camera doesn't have OIS, there's no telephoto sensor or IP68 certification, and it doesn't offer the same 50W wireless charging.
Samsung releases a 4G Galaxy S20 FE you'll actually want to buy — if you can
No more overheating LTE Exynos 990 model, but it's only available in a few markets so far
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Just a few weeks ago, rumors circulated that Samsung would be releasing a new, Qualcomm-powered, LTE-only (and potentially cheaper) version of the massively popular Galaxy S20 FE, replacing the Exynos-powered version. In short order, the new SM-G780G model has silently landed in several markets, including Vietnam and Malaysia, with product listings available in Germany and Sweden.
The OnePlus 9R is now on sale, but is it worth buying over the OnePlus 8T?
At current prices, there's a clear winner
OnePlus’s raison d'être has changed. It’s not committed to making flagship killers anymore — it’s unapologetically shipping $1,000 phones. But the company doesn’t want to put all its eggs in one basket so it's hedged this change in direction by introducing the Nord series and now, the OnePlus 9R that goes on sale today.
Should you buy a OnePlus 9, or the OnePlus 8T? It's less obvious than you think
Unless camera performance and wireless charging are deal breakers
Following weeks of hype, OnePlus finally debuted its OnePlus 9 series last month. If you're not looking to splurge almost a grand on the OnePlus 9 Pro (probably a good call), you might have your sights set on its cheaper sibling, the OnePlus 9. Surprisingly, it's priced lower than its predecessor at launch (at least in the US) and it arguably comes without any significant sacrifices. However, the OnePlus 8T has received a timely price cut and is now available for just $599 on the OnePlus store — $130 lower than the OnePlus 9.
The Snapdragon Galaxy S20 FE 5G gets an aggressive introductory price in India
Owners of the Exynos model now have another reason to cry into their pillow
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Like most markets outside North America, India got the Exynos variant of Samsung’s fantastic upper-mid-range Galaxy S20 FE. This model simply isn’t on par with its Snapdragon-powered sibling on several fronts, including 5G connectivity. Now, Samsung is bringing the S20 FE 5G to the Indian market right around the time OnePlus is set to drop its 9-series flagships in a similar price bracket.
It's seldom a good idea to purchase expensive consumer electronics at launch. The initial asking price doesn't stick around for long, and you can save some serious cash if you exercise a modicum of self-control. We've recently seen this happen with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, shedding a couple of hundred dollars within a month of release. But if you didn't snag that one, Woot has a deal that's worthy of your attention — the Note20 Ultra is on sale for a mere $799.99 with free shipping.
OnePlus 9 Lite might only be sold in two countries
The last-gen Snapdragon 865 is said to fuel the rumored Lite model
We’ve time and again heard that OnePlus is working on a "lite" model to accompany its main flagship line. Last year's rumored 8 Lite ended up launching as the Nord, but the company hasn't given up on the idea. It seems to be trying its hand at a proper Lite phone, likely as part of its main flagship line, as a new report suggests that the OnePlus 9 Lite is indeed on the way... but only for two countries in Asia.
OnePlus 9 Lite rumored to join next year's lineup armed with a Snapdragon 865
North of Nord in stature, but is it the right move?
The one thing you could not fault OnePlus for this year was its lack of range: it sold phones to impress and sold even more of them to respect the buyer's budget. But there was a clearly-defined gap between the Nord series and the OnePlus 8 entries this year that could be filled. Indeed, we heard earlier that the company intends to fill that gap in 2021 and are now learning more about how it will be filled.
OnePlus 8T renders look predictable, but this new spec detail is not
Up for debate is whether it will have the Snapdragon 865 Plus or just the 865
It's about time we got some renders for an unreleased phone — this go around, it's the OnePlus 8T. But things aren't so cut-and-dry here with the source of this intelligence putting out a couple of curveballs as to how these pictures were drawn up and this one big spec line we thought was set in stone.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra unveiled with 120 everything: 120Hz screen, 120W charging, 120x zoom
Launch coincides with the company's 10-year anniversary
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- Xiaomi confirmed to GSMArena that the Mi 10 Ultra is exclusive to China and "unlikely" to launch globally. The company has also ruled out a rebranding under a sub-brand like Poco.
For its 10th anniversary, Xiaomi has decided to mix all of the highest specs it could imagine, turn on the blender, and create the Mi 10 Ultra. The flagship's hardware list reads like a collection of almost all the high-end components currently available on the market, and it's packaged in a good looking exterior.
Galaxy Tab S7+ leak reveals the specs of Samsung's iPad Pro competitor
Iterating on what made the Tab S6 great
Samsung remains the sole Android manufacturer really trying to take on the iPad these days, and it looks like the company is not lowering the effort it's putting into its Tab S series. After we've already seen first renders of the Galaxy Tab S7+ and got some details on a 12.4-inch screen and the dimensions, SamMobile now provides an almost complete overview of the rest of the tablet's hardware specifications.
The Snapdragon 865 Plus is a slightly faster 865 — here's what's new
More Wi-Fi galore, more power to the cores
Seemingly on schedule with its tick-tock cycle, Qualcomm is announcing a half-step iteration to its Snapdragon 865 mobile platform, the Snapdragon 865 Plus. With it come the predictable minor performance bumps, but the system-on-a-chip does cross a major threshold in the realm of Wi-Fi.
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- Our coverage has been updated to include Google's first announcement of GPU driver updating through app stores from 2017, which also predates Project Mainline.
Late last year, Qualcomm told us that GPU updates through the Play Store would be possible, starting with its new Snapdragon 865 chipset. According to XDA Developers, Xiaomi is the first company to have accomplished the feat, rolling out a GPU driver update for its Snapdragon 865-powered devices through its Chinese app store.
Several key OnePlus 8 series specs officially confirmed
Expect the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, UFS 3.0 storage, and LPDDR5 memory
We're only two weeks away from the unveiling of the latest OnePus flagship phones, which means the company's marketing machine is full flow in order to stoke anticipation for the launch. In a post on the official OnePlus forum today, some key specs have been confirmed including the Snapdragon 865 processor from Qualcomm, UFS 3.0 storage, and LPDDR5 RAM.
LG unveils the V60 ThinQ 5G with dual screens, 5000mAh battery, and a 64MP camera
Another dual-screen phone in an increasingly folding-screen world
For the past few years, LG has introduced its mainstream G-series flagship in late winter or early spring, followed by a larger, more creator-focused V-series phone a few months later. We saw that routine begin to get shaken up last fall with the launch of the G8X (complete with its Dual Screen accessory hoping to steal a little thunder from the folding-phone craze), and now that shift continues not with the introduction of a presumptive G9, but instead with an early new entry to the V series, the LG V60 ThinQ 5G.
The Vivo IQOO 3 is a cut-price flagship with a Snapdragon 865 and 55W charging
It's also got pressure-sensitive shoulder buttons for the gamers
Vivo sub-brand IQOO has just announced its latest phone in India and it's got a relatively impressive set of specs. Among the headline features are pressure-sensitive "Monster Touch" shoulder buttons and 4D vibration engine intended to woo gamers as well as 55W fast charging.
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Samsung used to introduce its Galaxy S flagship series during MWC, but it has long since moved the unveiling to a separate event prior to the trade show. After months of leaks and a very revealing Galaxy Z Flip ad during the Oscars, Samsung has finally taken the wraps off its Galaxy S20 series consisting of the Galaxy S20, the S20+, and the S20 Ultra. Yes, the company is skipping S11 through S19 to pull even with the current year, which could make it easier to remember when which series was released in the future.
Samsung is going to make the Galaxy S20 official in just a few days with the Snapdragon 865, but ZTE has beaten it to the punch by unveiling the Axon 10s with an 865 inside. The Axon 10s has a big screen, a little notch, and it's the first device with faster LPDDR5 RAM. One thing it doesn't have is a release date.
One of my consistent complaints with most smartphone cameras is performance. While I'd personally single out Google's Pixels as among the worst, I think it's fair to say that most phones experience significant speed degradation in the camera as they age. I'm not going to claim I understand why this happens—a multitude of factors could be at play—but I do think on some level you have to look at hardware. And with Qualcomm's new Spectra 480 ISP in the Snapdragon 865, it sure looks like we're about to take a generational leap when it comes to imaging performance.
The Snapdragon 865 is the most important smartphone chip in years—and it packs some serious upgrades
I don't want to bury the lede on this one, so, here goes: I really do believe, genuinely, the Snapdragon 865 is the most important smartphone chip in a good, long while. No, it doesn't have an insane new CPU or GPU design, and no, it doesn't have an "integrated" 5G radio (more on that later). But if you're looking for the "5G is here" moment—a moment Qualcomm has been building up to for years—this is it.