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mardi 3 janvier 2017

Qualcomm Introduces the Snapdragon 835 at CES 2017

Consumer Electronics Show – Las Vegas, Nevada. 2PM PST on January 3rd, 2017:

At CES 2017, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. has officially introduced its latest high-end mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC) – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. This is Qualcomm's first SoC which is commercially manufactured using the 10nm FinFET process node. The Snapdragon 835 is built not only to power the next generation flagship smartphones, but also to better support mobile augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and even consumer devices such as IP cameras and mobile PCs with Windows 10.

image-002


Computing

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC utilizes the custom Kryo CPU architecture found in earlier designs but upgrades the specifications to the latest Kryo 280. With this upgrade, the S835 will feature 4 performance cores running at up to a maximum frequency of 2.45GHz and 4 efficiency cores running at up to 1.9GHz. The SoC also features dual-channel LP DDR4x memory at 1866MHz.

The 10nm FinFET manufacturing process contributes to the overall efficiency of the processor. Compared to the Snapdragon 820, the Snapdragon 835 is 35% smaller in package size and overall consumes 25% less power, theoretically providing longer battery life.

image-003


Graphics

The GPU will also see an upgrade of its own. Qualcomm will ship the Snapdragon 835 with its latest Adreno 540 GPU. The Adreno 540 supports OpenGL ES 3.2, full OpenCL 2.0, the Vulkan Graphics API, and DirectX 12, enabling the GPU to handle high-end mobile gaming for many months to come. Keeping in mind the growing demand for AR and VR content, the GPU in the S835 is built to handle scenarios of high performance while constraining thermal limits and thus maintaining battery efficiency.

The Snapdragon 835 sees up to a 25% increase in 3D graphics rendering performance, and supports 4K Ultra HD video (capture at 30fps, playback at 60fps with support for H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC)), wide color gamut 10-bit display, and AR/VR motion tracking through Qualcomm's sensor fusion-based six degrees of freedom (6DoF). As a cherry on top, the Snapdragon 835 does provide support for Google Daydream.

s835-graphics


Imaging

The DSP will be upgraded from the Hexagon 680 found in the Snapdragon 820's to the new Hexagon 682 DSP with Hexagon Vector eXtentions (HVX). The upgrade to the Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine framework includes support for Google's TensorFlow and custom neural network-layer. This should enable developers interested in machine learning to enable rich user experiences such as intelligent photography and smarter personal assistants and automobiles. The DSP also adds in the Halide framework for image processing.

The core of the image capture experience on the Snapdragon 835 is the Qualcomm Spectra 180 ISP, featuring dual 14-bit ISPs. This allows for hardware makers to opt for either a single 32MP camera or dual 16MP cameras. Depending on the OEM manufacturing preference, the camera sensor can also pack a hybrid autofocus, Qualcomm Clear Sight, Optical Zoom support, hardware accelerated face detection, and/or HDR video recording.


Security

Security enhancements have also been made with the next iteration of Qualcomm's high-end Snapdragon SoC. Qualcomm has unveiled what the company calls the "Qualcomm Haven Security Platform", which improves biometrics and device attestation security measures. The platform provides support for hardware-based user authentication such as for fingerprint, eye, and face-based biometrics as well as improved device attestation measures for mobile payments, enterprise data access, and personal data storage.

qualcomm-haven-security


Connectivity

As mobile data networks continue to improve, so too do the chipsets that enable our smartphones to connect to these networks. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 ships with an integrated X16 LTE modem with support for Category 16 LTE download speeds (up to one gigabit per second) and Category 13 LTE upload speeds (up to 150 megabits per second). The integrated 2×2 11ac MU-MIMO provides up to 60% reduction in Wi-Fi power consumption compared to the Snapdragon 820. With the optional 802.11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, peak speed of up to 4.6 Gigabits per second is possible. Furthermore, the Snapdragon 835 is the first Bluetooth 5 certified commercial chipset offering up to two megabits per second transfer speed. All of these connectivity features combined enable the S835 to power our needs for better cloud storage capabilities, richer multimedia applications, and demanding AR/VR experiences.

Other features of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 include Qualcomm Location with support for GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS systems. The Qualcomm Aqstic WCD9341 audio codec helps the Snapdragon 835 to support audiophile grade DAC with 32bit/384kHz support with SNR at 115dB and native DSD hi-fi audio playback. Moreover, the SoC supports Qualcomm aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth audio for improvements to power for wireless connectivity.


Charging

Last but not the least, Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology will be seeing massive improvements with the introduction of the Quick Charge 4.0 specification. This improvement claims up to 20% faster charging and up to a 30% higher efficiency compared to Quick Charge 3.0.

Snapdragon 820, Snapdragon 835 and a penny

Snapdragon 820, Snapdragon 835 and a penny

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC is in production now, and is expected to ship in commercial devices in the first half of 2017. We're excited to see how OEMs choose to tap into the possibilities that the new SoC brings for flagships. Are you?



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Android Security Update for January 2017 Released for Supported Devices

Another month, another Android Security Update. Google has actively been taking steps to find and disclose security issues during their monthly Android Security Bulletins. The current situation in the world of Android security, at least from Google's end, is a lot better than before such bulletins were released.

Right on time, the security patch for January 2017 is now live. All supported devices can look forward to receiving an OTA with the update that patches a lot of security holes. The complete security update marked for January 5th, 2017 contains patches for 10 vulnerabilities marked critical, 28 marked as high severity, and 12 marked as moderate severity in total.

Google notes that the most severe of the patched issues is a Critical vulnerability that could enable remote code execution on an affected device. This remote execution could be initiated through multiple methods such as email, web browsing, and MMS when processing media files. The good news is that Google has received no reports of active exploitation or abuse of these reported issues in the wild.

If you are interested, you can read the complete security bulletin for the month of January found here.


Installation

To manually update to this release, you can either make use of the factory images or the OTA update zips.

The Pixel and the Pixel XL have builds labeled NMF26U/V for November. The Pixel C and Nexus 5X get (individual) builds labeled N4F26I, while the Nexus 6P gets an additional build labeled N4F26J. The Nexus Player gets builds N4F26J and N4F26R, while the Nexus 9 WiFi gets N4F26M. January's build for the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 LTE are not yet live at this time, but we can expect them to arrive soon.

Google has shown that it remains committed to improving security on Android through such regular patches. Now it is up to the OEMs to follow suit.



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Xperia X Updated with the Android 7.1.1 Nougat Concept

Back at the start of December, a member of Sony's concept developer team said the Android 7.1.1 Nougat update was their "number one priority." The team had a goal to be the first smartphone manufacturer (excluding Google) to release the latest 7.1.1 update and they just did. Granted, this is not a stable build of the update, but it is great for those who have joined in on Sony's Android concept program.

At the time, the concept developer team from Sony already had the source code for the update. They were able to tinker with this part of the OS, but they were still waiting for the application suite and Compatibility Test Suite from Google. At the time, they were unable to give us any ETA about the release of the concept update, but it seems we didn't have to wait very long. We're already seeing those with the Xperia X receiving the 7.1.1. OTA update right now.

Again, you have to be part of Sony's Xperia Concept Program to be eligible for this OTA update. The OTA update for this device comes with the firmware version 38.3.A.0.41, and it also includes the December security patches for Android as well. The changelog for this new update says it includes a restart option directly in Android's power menu. This OTA update also comes with support for Sony's PS4 Remote Play feature too (although DualShock support is not included right now).

We can also see that this new update enables the camera application to be launched faster than before too. We aren't seeing any complaints about this update when it comes to bugs or stability issues, so that's a good thing. Were you one of the people who received this 7.1.1 Nougat update? If so, we would love to hear what you think about the update so far.

Source: Xperia Blog



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UMi Z Presale to Start on January 4th

UMi has announced that the UMi Z flagship phone will start going on presale on January 4th. You can subscribe at UMi's official website where 100,000 subscriptions will be accepted and those users will receive $60 off of the device. Or, better yet, you can enter our UMi Z giveaway and get one for free.

The UMi Z has an aluminum unibody, 5.5-inch FHD display, 3780 mAh battery with fast charging and 13MP cameras in both front and back. The rear camera supports dual focus with a quad-led flash, while a soft-light is added for the front camera to illuminate dark scenes.

UMi Z comes with android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, but will be upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat via OTA.

According to UMi, the Z model is backed by the concept  "Form Follows Function" , which is derived from modern industrial design genre – Bauhaus. The widely known Bauhaus principle seems to be embraced in UMi Z's design and manufacturing process.

umi2

Shop Link:

Gearbest Banggood Efox UMi official aliexpress store Find more shops at UMi website here

Thanks to UMi for sponsoring this post.



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Estimates Say the Mobile Payment Market is Hitting $780 Billion in 2017

According to a new report released by TrendForce, we're going to see huge growth within the mobile payment market this year. Their research says that people who own smartphones spent over $585 billion using mobile payments services in 2016. This includes Android Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay and all of the other mobile payment solutions that are available. This means we could see an increase of more than 25% in this year alone.

Even though Google is pushing Android Pay pretty hard, TrendForce's research believes Samsung Pay and Apple Pay are the two who have an advantage over the current competition. They were impressed with how Android Pay entered the Japanese market though, as it has been tough for other foreign services to do. Still, they feel the advertising arm of Samsung and Apple are big enough that they will be the two to dominate the mobile payment market next year.

They did reveal some details about Google working with Sony to incorporate FeliCa into an NFC-enabled IC card though. FeliCa is an RFID smart payment solution that Sony has created, and they are a highly regarded company within Japan. The idea is that this NFC-enabled IC card will work with smartphones and could help strengthen their presence within the country. Google is also said to be working with eMoney, Visa, MasterCard, and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, as well as other payment services and financial institutions.

TrendForce believes this year will see some much-needed security solutions for the mobile payment market. We've been seeing momentum toward the integration of different hardware technologies in encrypted chip design that has improved the security aspect of mobile payments. But they also feel that advances in encryption algorithms and multi-factor authentication methods will help to increase efficiency when verifying the user, confirming payments and securing the transfer of data.

Source: TrendForce



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Version 10 of Magisk Adds a New Way to Vendor Mirrors, and More

We've talked about Magisk here at XDA multiple times in the past, and it's been great to watch the development of this modification since it was first introduced. The goal of Magisk is to overcome the limitations of systemless mods for the Android platform. By creating a universal systemless interface, this enables developers and users to apply software mods in a way that doesn't interfere with the system partition.

Version 9 of Magisk was released just last month, and it came with a number of new changes like removing the interface for post-fs modules, re-writing the certain features, and preparing itself for MultiROM support. MultiROM support is still a work in progress, but you can watch a proof of concept video for that feature right here. This version 10 update comes with a new way to mount system (vendor) mirrors, a universal way of dealing with /vendor, and the ability to add anything to any place. Magic Mount will now use symlinks to mirroring back (if possible), which reduces bind mounts for adding files. It will also check init namespace and zygote namespace in an attempt to prevent Magic Mount from breakage. Magisk Hide will now send SIGSTOP to pause a target process ASAP so that it will cause a crash less if the unmounting was too late. And hiding should also work under any conditions now, even when adding libs and /system root.

Yesterday, we saw a quick 10.2 update released that adds a few new changes to Magisk as well. The changelog mentions removing apps/priv-app from whitelist as a fix for crashes, it comes with a fix for the phh binary being out-of-date. And it fixes a bug that caused root to disappear when upgrading within Magisk Manager. You can find the full changelog for these two updates listed below. . .

v10.2

  • [Magic Mount] Remove apps/priv-app from whitelist, should fix all crashes
  • [phh] Fix binary out-of-date issue
  • [scripts] Fix root disappear issue when upgrading within Magisk Manager

v10

  • [Magic Mount] Use a new way to mount system (vendor) mirrors
  • [Magic Mount] Use universal way to deal with /vendor, handle both separate partition or not
  • [Magic Mount] Adding anything to any place is now officially supported (including /system root and /vendor root)
  • [Magic Mount] Use symlinks for mirroring back if possible, reduce bind mounts for adding files
  • [Magisk Hide] Check init namespace, zygote namespace to prevent Magic Mount breakage (a.k.a root loss)
  • [Magisk Hide] Send SIGSTOP to pause target process ASAP to prevent crashing if unmounting too late
  • [Magisk Hide] Hiding should work under any conditions, including adding libs and /system root etc.
  • [phh] Root the device if no proper root detected
  • [phh] Move /sbin to /sbin_orig and link back, fix Samsung no-suid issue
  • [scripts] Improve SuperSU integration, now uses sukernel to patch ramdisk, support SuperSU built in ramdisk restore
  • [template] Add PROPFILE option to load system.prop

Source: XDA Forum



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Unofficial Build of CM13 is Now Available for the Galaxy View (SM-T670)

The development forum for the Galaxy View has been bare since the product was released, but XDA Recognized Contributor deadman96385 has recently released unofficial builds of both TWRP, as well as CyanogenMod 13, for the huge 18.4″ Android tablet.



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