LightBlog

lundi 9 décembre 2019

OPPO confirms it’ll launch a smartwatch, 5G hub, and AR glasses in Q1 2020

Over the last few weeks, OPPO has released a couple of teasers showcasing the OPPO Reno3 Pro 5G — an incredibly thin dual-mode 5G device that’s expected to hit the markets later this month. The teasers have already revealed key aspects of the smartphone’s design, showcasing a quad-camera setup, a notch-less edge-to-edge curved display with a hole-punch cutout, and the interesting dual-tone color scheme. We’ve also learned that the device will be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 765G chipset and will pack in a respectable 4,025 mAh battery. But that’s not all that the company is planning on launching in the near future. At the ongoing OPPO Inno Day event in China, the company has confirmed that it will be launching a new smartwatch, smart wireless headphones, a 5G hub, and AR glasses in Q1 2020.

OPPO Smartwatch

OPPO has been teasing its entry into the smartwatch space for a while now and earlier this year in February, the company’s CEO Chin Mingyong mentioned that it will be targeting smartwatches and smart headphones market in the near future. At the ongoing event, OPPO’s VP, Head of Research Levin Liu confirmed that the upcoming OPPO smartwatch will be unveiled in Q1 2020.

While the company revealed no further information about the smartwatch, it did mention having the “technological know-how” to enable eSIM support which requires specific requests from operators. This leads us to believe that they will most likely integrate an eSIM on their upcoming smartwatch.

5G CPE Hub

Along with the smartwatch, OPPO plans to release a 5G connectivity hub called the 5G CPE Hub in the first quarter of 2020. The upcoming 5G hub will accept a SIM card and include support for Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Zwave connectivity for smart home integration, allowing users to connect up to 1,000 devices at the same time.

OPPO 5G CPE Hub

The hub will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 modem, which can also be found on the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition and the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. It’s worth noting that the 5G CPE Hub only supports sub-6 GHz 5G.

OPPO AR Glasses

In an effort to expand its product portfolio beyond smartphones, OPPO also unveiled new AR smart glasses. These new augmented reality smart glasses run OPPO’s Glass OS and work quite a lot like the Microsoft HoloLens or Google Glass. In terms of hardware, the glasses feature 2 FishEye cameras for a wide field of view, an HD camera, and a Time-of-Flight (TOF) camera for 3D reconstruction.

The AR glasses even include support for 3D surround sound to offer users an immersive AR experience. During a stage demo for the AR smart glasses, OPPO showcased a person exploring our Solar System using hand gestures to navigate between planets. The glasses also displayed information on each planet as the person navigated through them.

Along with the aforementioned devices, OPPO also plans to launch smart wireless headphones in the first quarter of next year. However, we currently have no further information regarding the same. OPPO hasn’t revealed exact release dates for any of these upcoming devices, but we expect to learn more as their launch draws closer.


Thanks to Joshua Vergara from PocketNow for modeling!

The post OPPO confirms it’ll launch a smartwatch, 5G hub, and AR glasses in Q1 2020 appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/358XBJB
via IFTTT

Google denies Epic’s request to exempt Fortnite from a 30% revenue cut on the Play Store

Back in August last year, Epic Games announced that it was finally porting its popular battle royale game Fortnite to Android. However, the developer refused to publish the game on the Google Play Store and distributed it from its website instead. Earlier this year, the company launched its own app store — the Epic Games Store — on Android and in order to attract more developers to their store, the company undercut the Play Store’s revenue model by giving developers 88% of the revenue generated by their apps. However, Epic recently submitted Fortnite to the Play Store and urged Google to provide a special billing exception to circumvent the Play Store’s 30% revenue cut.

As per a recent report from 9to5Google, Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney has revealed that the company’s request for an exception is just a part of its goal to bring about a broader industry-wide change. In a statement to the publication, Sweeney said,” We have asked that Google not enforce its publicly stated expectation that products distributed through Google Play use Google’s payment service for in-app purchase. We believe this form of tying a mandatory payment service with a 30% fee is illegal in this case of a distribution platform with over 50% market share. We note that Google Play’s Developer Distribution Agreement does not require developers use Google payments. It merely references a number of non-contractual documents asking developers to do so.”

In a follow-up statement to The Verge, Google has said that it won’t grant Fortnite an exemption to the Play Store’s 30% revenue cut. The Google spokesperson was quoted saying, “Android enables multiple app stores and choices for developers to distribute apps. Google Play has a business model and billing policy that allows us to invest in our platform and tools to help developers build successful businesses while keeping users safe. We welcome any developer that recognized the value of Google Play and expect them to participate under the same terms as other developers.” The company has further noted that Epic has not asked for an exemption from Apple, where it presumably pays the company’s standard 30% cut. Google has also cited the Play Store’s ability to promote apps and bring more users, provide security and hosting, and tools for technical testing and analytics to justify the 30% cut.


Source: 9to5Google, The Verge

The post Google denies Epic’s request to exempt Fortnite from a 30% revenue cut on the Play Store appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/38kzx8K
via IFTTT

Google denies Epic’s request to exempt Fortnite from a 30% revenue cut on the Play Store

Back in August last year, Epic Games announced that it was finally porting its popular battle royale game Fortnite to Android. However, the developer refused to publish the game on the Google Play Store and distributed it from its website instead. Earlier this year, the company launched its own app store — the Epic Games Store — on Android and in order to attract more developers to their store, the company undercut the Play Store’s revenue model by giving developers 88% of the revenue generated by their apps. However, Epic recently submitted Fortnite to the Play Store and urged Google to provide a special billing exception to circumvent the Play Store’s 30% revenue cut.

As per a recent report from 9to5Google, Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney has revealed that the company’s request for an exception is just a part of its goal to bring about a broader industry-wide change. In a statement to the publication, Sweeney said,” We have asked that Google not enforce its publicly stated expectation that products distributed through Google Play use Google’s payment service for in-app purchase. We believe this form of tying a mandatory payment service with a 30% fee is illegal in this case of a distribution platform with over 50% market share. We note that Google Play’s Developer Distribution Agreement does not require developers use Google payments. It merely references a number of non-contractual documents asking developers to do so.”

In a follow-up statement to The Verge, Google has said that it won’t grant Fortnite an exemption to the Play Store’s 30% revenue cut. The Google spokesperson was quoted saying, “Android enables multiple app stores and choices for developers to distribute apps. Google Play has a business model and billing policy that allows us to invest in our platform and tools to help developers build successful businesses while keeping users safe. We welcome any developer that recognized the value of Google Play and expect them to participate under the same terms as other developers.” The company has further noted that Epic has not asked for an exemption from Apple, where it presumably pays the company’s standard 30% cut. Google has also cited the Play Store’s ability to promote apps and bring more users, provide security and hosting, and tools for technical testing and analytics to justify the 30% cut.


Source: 9to5Google, The Verge

The post Google denies Epic’s request to exempt Fortnite from a 30% revenue cut on the Play Store appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/38kzx8K
via IFTTT

[Update: Snapdragon 765G confirmed] Realme X50 will be Realme’s first smartphone with 5G

Update 12/10/19 @ 00:30 AM ET: The Realme X50 will be powered by the Snapdragon 765G SoC. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on November 25, 2019, is preserved as below.

Following the recent launch of its first true flagship — the Realme X2 Pro — Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme is prepping up to launch its first 5G enabled handset. As per a recent teaser shared by the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Xu Qi Chase, the upcoming device will be called the Realme X50. The teaser image shared on Weibo further reveals that the Realme X50 will offer support for dual-mode 5G, which means that the device will support both 5G Standalone (SA) and Non-Standalone (NSA) networks, just like the upcoming Redmi K30 5G. However, it isn’t clear whether the Realme X50 will make use of a MediaTek SoC or a Qualcomm SoC to offer 5G support.

The image also gives us our first glimpse at the device, highlighting its pill-shaped punch-hole display which will house dual selfie cameras. This is another feature that the device shares with the Redmi K30, which will also feature a punch-hole display with a similar design. However, the cutout on the Redmi K30 is on the opposite end of the display. It’s worth noting that back in September this year, Realme released a statement confirming an upcoming 5G smartphone based on the Snapdragon 7 series, so the Realme X50 could feature a Snapdragon 7 series chip. While we don’t have any further information on the specifications or release timeline for the device, Realme India’s CEO Madhav Sheth has previously confirmed that the company will launch its first 5G device this year. This, along with the recent teaser, leads us to believe that the Realme X50 might be launched in China in the next few weeks.

Source: Weibo


Update: Realme X50 5G confirmed with Snapdragon 765G

Earlier this month at the Snapdragon Tech Summit, we learned that the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi K30 and OPPO Reno3 Pro will be powered by the all-new Snapdragon 765G processor. Now, the Realme X50 is joining the lineup of upcoming 5G phones to features the Snapdragon 765G chip. The chip brings support for 5G connectivity, high refresh rate displays, and high-quality imaging to the mid-range price tier.

Realme X50 Snapdragon 765G

The Snapdragon 765G boasts of slightly higher single-core CPU performance  (Prime core clock speed increased from 2.3GHz to 2.4GHz) over the regular Snapdragon 765. It also offers slightly faster GPU performance (15% speed-binned) and select Snapdragon Elite Gaming features including Game Smoother, Game Fast Loader, Game Network Latency Manager, Jank Reducer 2.0, and Predictive Game Auto Tuner. For 5G connectivity, the Snapdragon 765G features the Snapdragon X52 5G Modem-RF System which supports dual-mode 5G.


Source: Weibo

The post [Update: Snapdragon 765G confirmed] Realme X50 will be Realme’s first smartphone with 5G appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2qyqgcj
via IFTTT

[Update: Snapdragon 765G confirmed] Realme X50 will be Realme’s first smartphone with 5G

Update 12/10/19 @ 00:30 AM ET: The Realme X50 will be powered by the Snapdragon 765G SoC. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on November 25, 2019, is preserved as below.

Following the recent launch of its first true flagship — the Realme X2 Pro — Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme is prepping up to launch its first 5G enabled handset. As per a recent teaser shared by the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Xu Qi Chase, the upcoming device will be called the Realme X50. The teaser image shared on Weibo further reveals that the Realme X50 will offer support for dual-mode 5G, which means that the device will support both 5G Standalone (SA) and Non-Standalone (NSA) networks, just like the upcoming Redmi K30 5G. However, it isn’t clear whether the Realme X50 will make use of a MediaTek SoC or a Qualcomm SoC to offer 5G support.

The image also gives us our first glimpse at the device, highlighting its pill-shaped punch-hole display which will house dual selfie cameras. This is another feature that the device shares with the Redmi K30, which will also feature a punch-hole display with a similar design. However, the cutout on the Redmi K30 is on the opposite end of the display. It’s worth noting that back in September this year, Realme released a statement confirming an upcoming 5G smartphone based on the Snapdragon 7 series, so the Realme X50 could feature a Snapdragon 7 series chip. While we don’t have any further information on the specifications or release timeline for the device, Realme India’s CEO Madhav Sheth has previously confirmed that the company will launch its first 5G device this year. This, along with the recent teaser, leads us to believe that the Realme X50 might be launched in China in the next few weeks.

Source: Weibo


Update: Realme X50 5G confirmed with Snapdragon 765G

Earlier this month at the Snapdragon Tech Summit, we learned that the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi K30 and OPPO Reno3 Pro will be powered by the all-new Snapdragon 765G processor. Now, the Realme X50 is joining the lineup of upcoming 5G phones to features the Snapdragon 765G chip. The chip brings support for 5G connectivity, high refresh rate displays, and high-quality imaging to the mid-range price tier.

Realme X50 Snapdragon 765G

The Snapdragon 765G boasts of slightly higher single-core CPU performance  (Prime core clock speed increased from 2.3GHz to 2.4GHz) over the regular Snapdragon 765. It also offers slightly faster GPU performance (15% speed-binned) and select Snapdragon Elite Gaming features including Game Smoother, Game Fast Loader, Game Network Latency Manager, Jank Reducer 2.0, and Predictive Game Auto Tuner. For 5G connectivity, the Snapdragon 765G features the Snapdragon X52 5G Modem-RF System which supports dual-mode 5G.


Source: Weibo

The post [Update: Snapdragon 765G confirmed] Realme X50 will be Realme’s first smartphone with 5G appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2qyqgcj
via IFTTT

Google’s first “Pixel feature drop” includes post-snap Portrait Mode, auto Call Screen, and more

Earlier this month, Google rolled out the December Android security patches. The company made some changes to the format they have traditionally used for these monthly releases. Instead of listing “functional patches” on the Pixel Bulletin, Google moved them to the Pixel Community Forum. Today, the company announced another change to how Pixel devices will receive updates with the first-ever “Pixel feature drop.”

Google describes Pixel feature drops as follows:

Your Pixel automatically updates regularly with fixes and improvements. Now, your Pixel will also get bigger updates in new Pixel feature drops.

This inaugural feature drop includes a couple of great features. First, we’ll start with Google Photos. Portrait Mode is a great feature in the Google Camera app, but it does require you to proactively switch modes before snapping a photo. You will now be able to retroactively turn on Portrait Mode on Pixel devices with Google Photos.

Next up is automatic Call Screen on Pixel devices, which is something we discovered in an APK teardown. Google Assistant can automatically screen unknown callers and filter detected robocalls before your phone rings. If the call was not a robocall, your phone will ring a few moments later and show context about who is calling and why. You can find transcripts of these calls in the Dialer app. Google mentions that this is an update to Call Screen specifically on the Pixel 4.

There are a few other odds and ends included in the feature drop. Google Duo gets smoother video calls on poor connections thanks to sound prediction with machine learning and the 90Hz display on the Pixel 4 helps reduce choppiness. Duo also has a new Portrait Mode-esque filter. Memory management has been “enhanced” across all Pixel devices so you can run more apps at the same time. Google also highlighted the features that users discovered in the last security update.

So that’s it for the first Pixel feature drop. This is essentially a rebranded and much more consumer-facing approach to the “functional patches” found in security updates. Google can elaborate on the features much more and make sure users know what’s new.


Source: Google

The post Google’s first “Pixel feature drop” includes post-snap Portrait Mode, auto Call Screen, and more appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2riphxf
via IFTTT

Bluecoins is a simple-to-use personal finance app with tools for budgeting and account management

When it comes to personal finance management apps, the Google Play Store has tons of great options to choose from. But most of these apps could be a bit difficult to use for those of you who have no prior experience with such apps. So if you’ve been on the lookout for an easy-to-use, yet effective, personal finance app then you should definitely check out Bluecoins.

Bluecoins Bluecoins

The app includes all the features you’d expect from a personal finance manager and helps you keep track of your expenses with detailed expense reports. The main dashboard on Bluecoins lists out a daily summary of your expenses, along with a calendar view that highlights when your salary was credited and when you made an expense. You also get a detailed budget summary with a graph that showcases all your expenses divided into different categories. Along with that, you also get an overview of your net earnings and credit card summary. All the data is accompanied by detailed graphs that help you easily track everything in real-time.

To the left of the main dashboard on Bluecoins, you’ll find separate tabs detailing your transactions, payment reminders, a detailed balance sheet, a budget summary and more. Tracking expenses with the app is quite easy because it lets you customize and create your own tags to label all expenses. Adding an expense is as simple as tapping on the plus icon in the bottom right corner and entering all the required details on the following screen. The app is designed quite well and it has even received the Play Store Editors’ Choice award for the same. If you’ve been struggling to manage your finances, then Bluecoins is definitely worth a shot. Download the app from the link below and check it out for yourself.

Bluecoins Finance: Budget, Money & Expense Manager (Free+, Google Play) →

The post Bluecoins is a simple-to-use personal finance app with tools for budgeting and account management appeared first on xda-developers.



from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2qA1bgV
via IFTTT