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dimanche 2 février 2020

What we know about the Galaxy Z Flip: Samsung’s Clamshell Foldable Phone

In 2019, Samsung, Huawei, and Motorola kicked off the foldable phone crazy with the Galaxy Fold, Mate X, and Motorola Razr, respectively. Each of these 3 phones approached foldable smartphone design in different ways, with Razr’s arguably being the most intuitive as it’s a throwback to the iconic clamshell design. The Motorola Razr’s uniqueness will be shortlived, however, as Samsung is gearing up to launch the Galaxy Z Flip in a little over a week. Samsung, like Motorola, is taking the flip phone design of days past and modernizing it with a foldable display and more modern internals and software. Although the device hasn’t officially launched yet, we have seen several leaks extensively documenting the design and specifications. Since there have been a lot of leaks recently, I’m going to summarize everything I know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Design

The design of the Galaxy Z Flip is interesting; it looks like a regular, tall smartphone that simply folds vertically in half, unlike the Motorola Razr which was specifically designed to look like older clamshell phones. The first pictures of the device leaked back in December, revealing the clamshell-like design that Samsung will be using for the Galaxy Z Flip. While unfolded, it will look like a Galaxy S20+ but with larger bezels. Its display is quite tall with a 22:9 aspect ratio. The display will also have a centered hole punch like the Galaxy S20+. As we previously uncovered a while back, the phone will have a secondary display on the front. This front display is very small and not usable for general browsing purposes. It’s 1.06-inches in size and is used for showing the time, date, battery, and possibly a camera viewfinder.

samsung galaxy fold clamshell 2 samsung galaxy fold clamshell 2 galaxy fold clamshell 2

Just like the current Galaxy Fold, the Galaxy Z Flip will have a bit of a gap when folded. This isn’t a bad thing, though. This gap is needed for Samsung’s new “Ultra Thin Glass” to fold over without breaking. The gap also makes the phone easier to open. If it were closed fully flush, it would be much harder to open than most flip phones. On the outside of the phone is the aluminum hinge and glass front and back.

The hinge of the phone won’t like the Galaxy Fold or Moto Razr, instead, it will actually lock into different positions using the double pivot hinge. You will be able to lock it into any angle between around 70 and 110 degrees. This becomes super useful for video calls or vlogging because the phone is essentially its own kickstand. It will also, of course, fold flat and into its smaller size.

Here’s an alleged real-world video (published on an undisclosed Instagram account and then reshared to Twitter) that shows the Galaxy Z Flip opening and closing:

In new renders published this week by Roland Quandt and Evan Blass, we got to see the Galaxy Z Flip in its full HD glory. We get to see the absolutely gorgeous pinkish/purple color and the classic black. From these renders, we can also see the hinge mechanism and how the device looks while folded. It looks like the hinge from the Galaxy Fold, but smaller. If you’re thinking this phone looks like a Galaxy Fold that folds across a different axis, it basically is. SamMobile also reported that there might be a white Galaxy Z Flip color, but we haven’t seen any evidence of that model yet.

samsung galaxy z flip samsung galaxy z flip samsung galaxy z flip

 

This device will have a fingerprint scanner, though it will not be under the Infinity Flex Display. There will be a capacitive fingerprint scanner on the top right side of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Display

The display on the Galaxy Z Flip is very different from the Galaxy Fold in terms of actual size, aspect ratio, the axis of the fold, and the layer over the OLED. The display, as previously mentioned, has a 22:9 aspect ratio. The display resolution will be 2636 x 1080 pixels. Samsung is employing a Dynamic AMOLED display with support for HDR10+. This is a folding Infinity-O display in that it has a hole-punch for a single camera.

The display will be layered in Samsung’s “Ultra Thin Glass”. This is basically very thin glass that will actually be able to bend. The Galaxy Z Flip will be the first device with Ultra Thin Glass. This glass will be layered in a layer of a flexible polymer, just like the Galaxy Fold. This extra layer of plastic is included for the protection of both the Infinity Flex Display and the glass. There is also a very small front display on this device that measures 1.06-inches and comes in at a resolution of 300×116 pixels. As I mentioned, it’s only useful for checking the time, date, and battery status. A few sources have told us you will be able to use it as a camera viewfinder as well.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Camera

The Galaxy Z Flip camera setup is pretty decent, though it won’t have a 108MP sensor as some have speculated. This is going to be a dual-camera setup on the rear/folded front. There will be 2x12MP cameras consisting of a main wide and a secondary ultra-wide camera. The main 12MP wide-angle sensor will likely be the same 12MP sensor from the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+. It will likely be the Sony IMX 555 or Samsung ISOCell equivalent sensor. We don’t know the actual sensor model for the ultra-wide, but we do know it’s also 12MP.

Images from WinFuture

The front camera will be a 10MP Sony IMX 374. This is the same 10MP sensor from the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Fold. Unlike the Galaxy S20, this won’t support 4K 60fps video recording. It will be limited to 4K 30fps video recording but it will have autofocus, though. Something else Samsung will be doing with the cameras is on the software side. It will be able to move the viewfinder of the camera to match the position of the hinge. Basically, you can fold the phone to around 100° and use it as a kickstand on a table to record video and the phone will match it. This will also work in apps like Google Duo.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Specifications

So as with every phone, the specifications are going to be important. The Galaxy Z Flip is no exception. The SoC in the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+. It might be one generation old, but it helps bring the price down and will likely help with battery life. That’s because there isn’t going to be a massive battery in this phone. Samsung is throwing in a 3300mAh battery. Samsung is actually going with a dual battery setup as they did with the Galaxy Fold. One of the batteries will be 900mAh while the other will be 2400mAh. Both will support wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, and 15W wired charging.

The phone will come with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. This isn’t as much memory capacity as the Galaxy S20 series or the Galaxy Fold, but once again, this is likely a cost-cutting measure to be able to get the phone out to more people. Another place where Samsung has possibly cut costs is storage. It will have 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage, down from the 512GB capacity in the Galaxy Fold.

The phone, when unfolded, isn’t going to be small. It has a 6.7-inch 22:9 display. This is very tall, but luckily, it won’t be unfolded in your pocket. While unfolded, it will be between 6.9mm and 7.2mm in thickness. While folded, it will be between 15.4mm and 17.3mm in thickness. Unlike other foldables, the Galaxy Z Flip will fold perfectly flat. There will be a gap, and it might actually be useful for this fold. The gap is a perfect place to put your finger to open the foldable display.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
OS Android 10 with Samsung One UI2
CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ 7 nm
Display Full HD + (2636 x 1080 pixels), Dynamic AMOLED 6.7 inches with Always On, Infinity-O
ext. Screen 1.06 inch (300 x 116 pixels), Super AMOLED Always On, Gorilla Glass 6
Storage 8 GB RAM, 256 GB UFS3.0, directly supported cloud ports Samsung Cloud, Google Drive, MS Onedrive (no micro SD)
Rear Cameras 12 MP dual pixel, aperture f / 1.8, aperture angle 78 ° + 12 MP ultra-wide-angle f / 2.2, 123 °, flash, HDR 10+, quick start, opt. image stabilization
Front Camera 10 MP dual pixel, f / 2.4, 80 °, autofocus, voice control
Video UHD 4K 60 fps (main camera), UHD 4K 30 fps (front), HDR10 +
Video Playback Supported formats: MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, AVI, MKV, WBEM
Sensors Accelerometer, barometer, compass, brightness sensor, proximity detection, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope
Battery 3300 mAh, quick charging with up to 15 watts, Qi charging with up to 9 watts
Connectivity Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type C, NFC, WiFi 6 (2.4 + 5 GHz, WiFi direct, Mirrorlink, Smart View
Mobile 2G (GPRS / EDGE): GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900
3G (HSDPA +): B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B8 (900)
4G (LTE): B1 ( 2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B12, B13, B14, B17 (700), B18, B19, B20 ( 800), B25, B26, B28 (700), B29, B30, B34, B38, B39, B40, B41, B46, B66, B71
Security Face recognition, fingerprint reader (on the side), Knox 3.4.1, secure folder
Audio AKG stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, embedded Spotify application, supported formats: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, DSF, DSF, APE
Satellite GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
Colors Black, purple
Dimensions opened 167.9 x 73.6 x 6.9-7.2 mm, closed 167.9 x 73.6 x 15.4-17.3 mm
Weight 183 grams

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Software

The software on the Galaxy Z Flip will be basically stock One UI 2.1 based on Android 10. It will have all the same software features as on the Galaxy S20 in One UI 2.1, but some features might be a bit more limited due to the different SoCs. One of the features we know will be included is the new Quick Share service Samsung is working on.  A few of the fun software features Samsung is working on are based around the flip phone design. The first was actually teased at SDC back in October 2019. This will work in the camera app and apps like Google Duo in unison with the double pivot hinge. Another hinge feature is a classic from the old flip phone days. If you are on a phone call and close the phone, it will end the call. I know this isn’t a groundbreaking feature, but I thought it would be worth mentioning.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Availability

The Galaxy Z Flip should be available really soon. According to some of our sources, it will be available before the end of the month. Two of our sources even claimed it would be available on February 14th in the U.S. It should retail for $1,400 for the base 256GB model. It will come in Black and Purple, which we’ve seen in renders from WinFuture. We can confirm it will be available at both AT&T and Sprint as well as Unlocked through Samsung on launch day. While we can’t say for sure, it’s likely it will be available from T-Mobile and Verizon as well.


All of these are just rumors and unconfirmed reports until the official announcement. The phone will be unveiled at Samsung Unpacked 2020 on February 11th in San Francisco. We will be at the event to give you guys all the coverage of this phone as well as the S20 series. If you’re interested in learning everything about the Galaxy S20 series before the event, be sure to check out our recap on the devices. Also, check out the XDA TV YouTube channel for any hands-on videos we might be posting.

The post What we know about the Galaxy Z Flip: Samsung’s Clamshell Foldable Phone appeared first on xda-developers.



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MWC 2020 Preview: Everything we expect from this jam-packed event

MWC, short Mobile World Congress, is an annual event held by GSM Alliance in Barcelona, Spain. MWC is the world’s largest event to showcase mobile technology, and that is exactly what happens every year. Every year, OEMs around the world use MWC as a platform to announce their latest consumer-ready products, giving us smartphone enthusiasts plenty to drool over for the coming months. At MWC 2020, scheduled for 24-27 February, we are expecting a slew of releases, with major launch events lined up before as well as during the exhibition. Here we give you a lowdown on what to expect from MWC 2020.


HMD Global

HMD Global has used the MWC stage in the past to release Nokia-branded smartphones, and the company will be present this year too, so we can expect to see some Nokia-branded phones. Nokia will also be present at the event this year, but its talks center around 5G, so Nokia’s talks could be focused around the infrastructure more so than phones.

We don’t know much about HMD Global’s plans for its Nokia-branded smartphones at MWC 2020. HMD Global previously confirmed, during Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit, that they will launch phones using the Snapdragon 765 and Snapdragon 865 platforms. The company could unveil these phones at the event. We could also see more budget and mid-range phones as HMD Global is known for. Unfortunately, though, we haven’t seen any reliable leaks for the devices that could be at the show, but early unverified rumors suggest a Nokia 8.2 5G, Nokia 5.2, and Nokia 1.3 for this year’s event.

One wildcard could be the Nokia 400, which could be the first feature phone with Android. This mysterious device has been rumored for a while and we’ve seen hints at Android running on a feature phone. We really don’t know much about this phone, which leads us to believe it won’t be at MWC, but it is a possibility.


Huawei

Huawei P40 leaked renders – Don’t expect to see this at MWC

Huawei will also be present at MWC 2020, with “new products and solutions.” While the wording is very wide, Huawei will take the stage to talk about 5G for sure, as they reveal on their own website. This could relate to 5G infrastructure as Huawei has a significant presence in that area, so we aren’t entirely confident about whether we will see a new phone or tablet launches at MWC 2020. The Huawei P40 series is expected at a separate event in March 2020, so it is unlikely that the phone will be unveiled at MWC 2020 as that would render the separate March launch event pointless. Plans can change, of course, so we leave the door open to surprises.

Huawei P40 — XDA Articles || Huawei P40 Pro — XDA Articles


Honor

For Honor, we have a better idea of what to expect, even if the particular details on some products are hazy. Honor sent out media invites announcing that the company will be showing off devices that will be launched in Europe, including the Honor 9X Pro and View 30 Pro. Honor says they will also have a “special edition” of the MagicWatch 2 smartwatch and wireless earbuds at MWC.

Honor 9X Pro

The Honor 9X Pro has been around for a while, but it has taken Honor some time to release it in all markets. Back in October, the company announced they would be releasing a different version of the Honor 9X Pro in Europe. It did make its way to a few European countries, but at MWC, Honor will be announcing an even wider global availability. The Honor 9X Pro is rocking a 6.59-inch display, the Kirin 810 processor, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and has a 4,000mAh battery. The device features three rear cameras: 48MP, 8MP wide-angle, and 2MP depth sensor. The front 16MP camera is housed in a pop-up mechanism and the device comes in purple and black colors.

Honor 9X Pro — XDA Articles

Honor View 30 Pro

Honor V30

The Honor View 30 Pro is expected to be the global rebranding of the Honor V30 Pro that was launched in China in November 2019. We largely expect the phone to come with the same specifications, but we cannot rule out smaller changes for the different regions. The Honor V30 Pro comes with a 6.57″ FHD+ LCD with dual-punch holes for the front camera, the HiSilicon Kirin 990, a triple camera setup consisting of a 40MP primary, 12MP wide-angle, and 8MP telephoto cameras. The front setup on the V30 Pro comprises of a 32MP primary and an 8MP telephoto shooter. The V30 Pro supports dual-mode 5G, so we expect to see that carried over to the View 30 Pro too.

Honor View 30 Pro — XDA Articles


LG

LG has been a regular at MWC for a few years now, as it takes the stage to announce its latest flagship that will compete against flagships from other top-tier OEMs. This year, we expect to see the LG V60 ThinQ with a dual-screen accessory and the LG G9 ThinQ launched at the event, at the very least.

LG V60 ThinQ

Something like this?

The LG V-series used to see a release in the second half of the year, but LG broke its tradition by launching the LG V50 alongside the LG G8 at MWC 2019, and then following up with the LG G8X in the second half. Thus, we expect to see the V60 ThinQ this year, and the device is expected to focus on the dual-screen experience through an accompanying second-screen accessory, much like the LG G8X. The folding structure is expected to see an upgrade — though the exact upgrade is still a mystery. And of course, there will be 5G.

LG V60 ThinQ — XDA Articles

LG G9 ThinQ

LG G9 ThinQ

While the LG V60 ThinQ has not seen render leaks yet, the LG G9 ThinQ has, giving us a fair idea of what to expect from the upcoming LG flagship. The LG G9 will have a waterdrop notch for the singular front camera, indicating that there will be no hand gesture-based gimmicks this time around. The leaked renders show off a quad rear camera setup as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom, making this phone from LG one of the very phones in 2020 to still retain the port. The phone is also expected to have minimal bezels on a flat display, as well as an in-display fingerprint scanner.

LG G9 ThinQ — XDA Articles


Motorola

At the Snapdragon Tech Summit, Motorola had announced that it would launch at least one phone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 and at least one phone with the Snapdragon 865. AndroidHeadlines reports that Motorola had sent out press invites for an MWC 2020 event, where the company is expected to announce this flagship phone. In addition to the flagship, three other Motorola devices have also leaked in the last few days — the Moto G8, the Moto G8 Power, and the Moto G Stylus. So it is possible that these three phones also make an appearance at MWC.

Moto G8

motorola moto g8

The Moto G8 is expected to come with a 6.39″ HD+ LCD, likely with a single hole-punch for the front camera. The fingerprint sensor will sit embedded within the Motorola batwing logo on the back of the phone, as the leaked renders corroborate. The phone is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 665 and is likely coming with a 4,000 mAh battery with 10W charging. The phone is likely to come with a triple rear camera setup with a 16MP primary, 8MP wide-angle, and a 2MP macro camera; along with an 8MP front camera.

Motorola Moto G8 — XDA Articles

Moto G8 Power

The highlight of the Moto G8 Power is expected to be its 5,000 mAh battery and 18W fast charging support. The Moto G8 Power is also expected to come with a 6.36″ FHD+ LCD, and the batwing logo on the rear will house the fingerprint scanner. The camera setup is expected to be similar to the Moto G8 — but with an extra 8MP sensor on the rear, and the front seeing an upgrade to a 25MP shooter.

Motorola Moto G8 Power — XDA Articles

Moto G Stylus

Motorola is also expected to launch a phone in the G-lineup with an included stylus, though we do not expect the stylus to compete in functionality to Samsung’s S-Pen. We recently just learned more about this mysterious device. It has a 6.36-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64/128GB of storage, and a 4,000mAh battery. On the back, there is a 48MP main camera, 2MP macro camera, and 16MP wide-angle camera. Motorola will include some rudimentary software features for the stylus as well.

Moto G Stylus — XDA Articles


OnePlus

OnePlus Concept One

OnePlus has not confirmed any plans for MWC 2020. OnePlus typically does not announce new products at the event, but there’s always a possibility they could still do something. For example, at CES 2020, they showed off the Concept One smartphone. It’s possible we’ll see OnePlus demo its 120Hz display tech at the event, but I doubt we’ll see a full-fledged announcement of the OnePlus 8 series. OnePlus is a company that tries to grab headlines as much as possible, so we definitely expect some news from the event.


OPPO

OPPO has confirmed that it will be present at MWC 2020 to talk about 5G technology, so we can expect the Chinese OEM to further mark its presence in some way. While no phone releases have been officially confirmed or announced by the company, it is a possibility that they lift the wraps off the OPPO Find X2 and OPPO Find X2 Pro. MWC 2020 would also be a good time to announce the global launch of the Reno3 series.

OPPO Find X2/X2 Pro

At OPPO Inno Day in December 2019, OPPO had confirmed that its next premium flagship, the Find X2, will launch in Q1 2020. The Find X2 Pro, on the other hand, received no such comments, but the device was recently spotted in NBTC certification filings. They will come with new technologies like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Sony’s new 2×2 On-Chip Lens solution, and a better display with an emphasis on the display resolution, refresh rate, colors, and dynamic range. OPPO also had announced that they have signed a multi-year collaboration agreement with Pixelworks, so we can expect to see the Iris 5 visual processor in these devices too.

OPPO Find X2 — XDA Articles

OPPO Reno3 Series

The OPPO Reno3 series was launched in China last month and we know it will eventually launch globally. OPPO’s press release said to “stay tuned” as the Reno3 series will “hit the other market[s] around the world,” after all. As a recap, the Reno3 has a 6.4-inch flat display, MediaTek Dimensity 100L processor, 8/12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,025mAh battery. The rear cameras are 64MP, 8MP wide-angle, monochrome, and portrait. The Reno3 Pro has a 6.5-inch curved display, Snapdragon 765G SoC, 8/12GB of RAM, 128/256GB of storage, and a 4,025mAh battery. The rear cameras are 48MP, 13MP telephoto, 8MP wide-angle, and 2MP monochrome.

The Reno3 was priced around $485 for the 8GB+128GB variant and $530 for the 12GB/128GB variant. The Reno3 Pro cost $570 for the 8GB+128GB variant and $640 for the 12GB/256GB variant.

OPPO Reno3 series — XDA Articles


Qualcomm

Qualcomm will have an event at MWC, but it’s unknown if the company will unveil any new SoCs. They could announce adjacent products like improvements to their WiFi and Bluetooth tech. We don’t know much about their plans yet. Last year, the company announced the X55 5G modem just days before MWC. We’ll keep our eyes open for a similar announcement.


Realme

Realme has confirmed their presence at MWC 2020, with at least one 5G phone expected to be shown off as part of its global launch. This 5G phone could be the Realme X50 5G with the Snapdragon 765G that was announced in China recently, or a new smartphone with Snapdragon 865 (possibly called the Realme X50 Pro) as per more recent reports, or even better, both.

Realme X50 5G

The Realme X50 5G has already been launched in China, so we know what to expect unless there are any variations. One of the highlights of this device is the 120Hz refresh rate 6.57″ FHD+ LCD with an elongated camera cutout for the dual front cameras. The phone comes along with Snapdragon 765G, 4,200 mAh battery with 30W VOOC 4.0 fast charging support, a quad-rear camera setup consisting of a 64MP primary, 8MP wide-angle, 12MP telephoto, and 2MP macro camera, as well as a 16MP primary and 8MP wide-angle camera on the front. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint scanner too.

Realme X50 — XDA Articles


Samsung

Samsung already has its own Galaxy Unpacked event, where it is expected to unveil the new Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip. Galaxy Unpacked 2020 is not coinciding with MWC 2020 as it is held a good two weeks before MWC. As a consequence, we do not expect Samsung to show off any flagship phones at MWC 2020, but instead, use the opportunity to show off its new phones that would have already been launched by then. There is a possibility that Samsung does unveil new releases in its A-series lineup though.


Sony

Sony has confirmed that it has scheduled a press event at MWC 2020. We’re expecting to see the 21:9 aspect ratio Sony Xperia 5 Plus (or whatever its final marketing name would be) to be announced at the event.

Sony Xperia 5 Plus

The Sony Xperia 5 Plus is expected to carry forward the 21:9 trend from Sony with a tall 6.6″ OLED display with thin bezels as well as dual front-facing stereo speakers and an 8MP front camera. The phone is expected to also retain the rectangular boxy look from recent Sony flagships. This phone is also expected to come with a triple rear camera setup with an additional ToF sensor, and a 3.5mm headphone jack too. Leaked renders have suggested a side-mounted fingerprint sensor too, indicating that Sony is not yet ready to make the jump to in-display fingerprint sensors just yet.

Sony Xperia 5 Plus — XDA Articles


TCL

TCL took the stage at CES earlier this year to announce its self-branded smartphones: the TCL 10 5G, TCL 10L, and TCL 10 Pro. The CES announcement showed off the design of the device and some preliminary details, and TCL mentioned that they will announce complete details on the lineup at MWC 2020.

The TCL 10 5G offers sub-6GHz 5G connectivity thanks to a Snapdragon 7-series SoC (likely the Snapdragon 765). The official renders of the phone show off a phone with thin bezels and a quad-camera module (with a 64MP primary camera) above the physical fingerprint scanner on the rear. The highlight of the device will be its price, as the TCL 10 5G is expected to be priced under $500, which should make it one of the more affordable 5G smartphones in the US market.


Vivo

Vivo has also announced its presence for MWC 2020. But much like last year, the company is expected to use the event to show off a concept smartphone, presumably in the APEX lineup.

Vivo Apex 2019

Last year, the Vivo Apex 2019 was shown off as a 5G concept phone made out of a glass unibody, with three pressure-sensitive capacitive buttons on the side as a replacement for conventional press buttons for power and volume. This glass unibody design led the way to eliminate all ports on the device — so the Vivo Apex 2019 had no USB port, no speaker grill, no SIM tray, and of course, no headphone jack. The phone also featured a full-display fingerprint scanner, which means that the in-display fingerprint scanner works to recognize fingers placed anywhere across the display. Of course, as a concept smartphone, the phone was not meant to go under mass production, so Vivo removed the front camera too, because why not. With these risks taken already, we’re very curious where Vivo leads us this year.


Xiaomi

Xiaomi isn’t listed for a press event at MWC 2020 yet, but they do have a booth on the ground. Xiaomi has confirmed that the Chinese OEM will launch the Mi 10 with the Snapdragon 865 in Q1 2020, so that is the likeliest of possibilities of what we can see in their booth — though how they will handle an announcement remains to be seen. We might also see the Mi 10 Pro, whose existence was very recently confirmed.

Mi 10/Mi 10 Pro

At least two phones exist within the Mi 10 lineup, and conventional naming techniques suggest these would be the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. The Mi 10 Pro will support 66W fast charging. We’re hoping to get more quality leaks for these devices as the event approaches.

Xiaomi Mi 10 — XDA Articles


ZTE

ZTE has confirmed attendance at MWC 2020 with a 5G-focused event. Of course, the conversation will revolve around 5G, but it is within the realm of possibility that we also see the company announce the ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G with the Snapdragon 865. The phone has passed through TENAA, so we have a fair idea of what to expect out of the device if it does indeed get launched at MWC.

ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G

The ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G looks nearly identical to the Axon 10 Pro, but there are several key updates. First and foremost, as the name implies, this device will support 5G connectivity. This will be a major point of focus at MWC and ZTE will be onboard with it. ZTE has revealed that the device will feature WiFi 6 with support for dual-WiFi acceleration, LPDDR5 memory, and UFS 3.0 flash storage.

ZTE also let the cat out of the bag about the SoC, which will be the Snapdragon 865. Further leaks have filled-in some of the other details as well. The phone will come in 6GB, 8GB, and 12GB RAM variants, as well as storage options ranging from 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. It has a 48MP main sensor, and what we expect to be a 20MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto sensor. The battery should be 3,900.

ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G — XDA Articles


MWC 2020 is set to be another huge show for the mobile industry. While we already have a decent idea of what we’ll see at the event, there will absolutely be more than what’s listed on this page. You’ll want to keep up with everything that happens in Barcelona by following our MWC 2020 tag. Who’s excited for a big show?

The post MWC 2020 Preview: Everything we expect from this jam-packed event appeared first on xda-developers.



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MWC 2020 Preview: Everything we expect from this jam-packed event

MWC, short Mobile World Congress, is an annual event held by GSM Alliance in Barcelona, Spain. MWC is the world’s largest event to showcase mobile technology, and that is exactly what happens every year. Every year, OEMs around the world use MWC as a platform to announce their latest consumer-ready products, giving us smartphone enthusiasts plenty to drool over for the coming months. At MWC 2020, scheduled for 24-27 February, we are expecting a slew of releases, with major launch events lined up before as well as during the exhibition. Here we give you a lowdown on what to expect from MWC 2020.


HMD Global

HMD Global has used the MWC stage in the past to release Nokia-branded smartphones, and the company will be present this year too, so we can expect to see some Nokia-branded phones. Nokia will also be present at the event this year, but its talks center around 5G, so Nokia’s talks could be focused around the infrastructure more so than phones.

We don’t know much about HMD Global’s plans for its Nokia-branded smartphones at MWC 2020. HMD Global previously confirmed, during Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit, that they will launch phones using the Snapdragon 765 and Snapdragon 865 platforms. The company could unveil these phones at the event. We could also see more budget and mid-range phones as HMD Global is known for. Unfortunately, though, we haven’t seen any reliable leaks for the devices that could be at the show, but early unverified rumors suggest a Nokia 8.2 5G, Nokia 5.2, and Nokia 1.3 for this year’s event.

One wildcard could be the Nokia 400, which could be the first feature phone with Android. This mysterious device has been rumored for a while and we’ve seen hints at Android running on a feature phone. We really don’t know much about this phone, which leads us to believe it won’t be at MWC, but it is a possibility.


Huawei

Huawei P40 leaked renders – Don’t expect to see this at MWC

Huawei will also be present at MWC 2020, with “new products and solutions.” While the wording is very wide, Huawei will take the stage to talk about 5G for sure, as they reveal on their own website. This could relate to 5G infrastructure as Huawei has a significant presence in that area, so we aren’t entirely confident about whether we will see a new phone or tablet launches at MWC 2020. The Huawei P40 series is expected at a separate event in March 2020, so it is unlikely that the phone will be unveiled at MWC 2020 as that would render the separate March launch event pointless. Plans can change, of course, so we leave the door open to surprises.

Huawei P40 — XDA Articles || Huawei P40 Pro — XDA Articles


Honor

For Honor, we have a better idea of what to expect, even if the particular details on some products are hazy. Honor sent out media invites announcing that the company will be showing off devices that will be launched in Europe, including the Honor 9X Pro and View 30 Pro. Honor says they will also have a “special edition” of the MagicWatch 2 smartwatch and wireless earbuds at MWC.

Honor 9X Pro

The Honor 9X Pro has been around for a while, but it has taken Honor some time to release it in all markets. Back in October, the company announced they would be releasing a different version of the Honor 9X Pro in Europe. It did make its way to a few European countries, but at MWC, Honor will be announcing an even wider global availability. The Honor 9X Pro is rocking a 6.59-inch display, the Kirin 810 processor, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and has a 4,000mAh battery. The device features three rear cameras: 48MP, 8MP wide-angle, and 2MP depth sensor. The front 16MP camera is housed in a pop-up mechanism and the device comes in purple and black colors.

Honor 9X Pro — XDA Articles

Honor View 30 Pro

Honor V30

The Honor View 30 Pro is expected to be the global rebranding of the Honor V30 Pro that was launched in China in November 2019. We largely expect the phone to come with the same specifications, but we cannot rule out smaller changes for the different regions. The Honor V30 Pro comes with a 6.57″ FHD+ LCD with dual-punch holes for the front camera, the HiSilicon Kirin 990, a triple camera setup consisting of a 40MP primary, 12MP wide-angle, and 8MP telephoto cameras. The front setup on the V30 Pro comprises of a 32MP primary and an 8MP telephoto shooter. The V30 Pro supports dual-mode 5G, so we expect to see that carried over to the View 30 Pro too.

Honor View 30 Pro — XDA Articles


LG

LG has been a regular at MWC for a few years now, as it takes the stage to announce its latest flagship that will compete against flagships from other top-tier OEMs. This year, we expect to see the LG V60 ThinQ with a dual-screen accessory and the LG G9 ThinQ launched at the event, at the very least.

LG V60 ThinQ

Something like this?

The LG V-series used to see a release in the second half of the year, but LG broke its tradition by launching the LG V50 alongside the LG G8 at MWC 2019, and then following up with the LG G8X in the second half. Thus, we expect to see the V60 ThinQ this year, and the device is expected to focus on the dual-screen experience through an accompanying second-screen accessory, much like the LG G8X. The folding structure is expected to see an upgrade — though the exact upgrade is still a mystery. And of course, there will be 5G.

LG V60 ThinQ — XDA Articles

LG G9 ThinQ

LG G9 ThinQ

While the LG V60 ThinQ has not seen render leaks yet, the LG G9 ThinQ has, giving us a fair idea of what to expect from the upcoming LG flagship. The LG G9 will have a waterdrop notch for the singular front camera, indicating that there will be no hand gesture-based gimmicks this time around. The leaked renders show off a quad rear camera setup as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom, making this phone from LG one of the very phones in 2020 to still retain the port. The phone is also expected to have minimal bezels on a flat display, as well as an in-display fingerprint scanner.

LG G9 ThinQ — XDA Articles


Motorola

At the Snapdragon Tech Summit, Motorola had announced that it would launch at least one phone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 and at least one phone with the Snapdragon 865. AndroidHeadlines reports that Motorola had sent out press invites for an MWC 2020 event, where the company is expected to announce this flagship phone. In addition to the flagship, three other Motorola devices have also leaked in the last few days — the Moto G8, the Moto G8 Power, and the Moto G Stylus. So it is possible that these three phones also make an appearance at MWC.

Moto G8

motorola moto g8

The Moto G8 is expected to come with a 6.39″ HD+ LCD, likely with a single hole-punch for the front camera. The fingerprint sensor will sit embedded within the Motorola batwing logo on the back of the phone, as the leaked renders corroborate. The phone is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 665 and is likely coming with a 4,000 mAh battery with 10W charging. The phone is likely to come with a triple rear camera setup with a 16MP primary, 8MP wide-angle, and a 2MP macro camera; along with an 8MP front camera.

Motorola Moto G8 — XDA Articles

Moto G8 Power

The highlight of the Moto G8 Power is expected to be its 5,000 mAh battery and 18W fast charging support. The Moto G8 Power is also expected to come with a 6.36″ FHD+ LCD, and the batwing logo on the rear will house the fingerprint scanner. The camera setup is expected to be similar to the Moto G8 — but with an extra 8MP sensor on the rear, and the front seeing an upgrade to a 25MP shooter.

Motorola Moto G8 Power — XDA Articles

Moto G Stylus

Motorola is also expected to launch a phone in the G-lineup with an included stylus, though we do not expect the stylus to compete in functionality to Samsung’s S-Pen. We recently just learned more about this mysterious device. It has a 6.36-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64/128GB of storage, and a 4,000mAh battery. On the back, there is a 48MP main camera, 2MP macro camera, and 16MP wide-angle camera. Motorola will include some rudimentary software features for the stylus as well.

Moto G Stylus — XDA Articles


OnePlus

OnePlus Concept One

OnePlus has not confirmed any plans for MWC 2020. OnePlus typically does not announce new products at the event, but there’s always a possibility they could still do something. For example, at CES 2020, they showed off the Concept One smartphone. It’s possible we’ll see OnePlus demo its 120Hz display tech at the event, but I doubt we’ll see a full-fledged announcement of the OnePlus 8 series. OnePlus is a company that tries to grab headlines as much as possible, so we definitely expect some news from the event.


OPPO

OPPO has confirmed that it will be present at MWC 2020 to talk about 5G technology, so we can expect the Chinese OEM to further mark its presence in some way. While no phone releases have been officially confirmed or announced by the company, it is a possibility that they lift the wraps off the OPPO Find X2 and OPPO Find X2 Pro. MWC 2020 would also be a good time to announce the global launch of the Reno3 series.

OPPO Find X2/X2 Pro

At OPPO Inno Day in December 2019, OPPO had confirmed that its next premium flagship, the Find X2, will launch in Q1 2020. The Find X2 Pro, on the other hand, received no such comments, but the device was recently spotted in NBTC certification filings. They will come with new technologies like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Sony’s new 2×2 On-Chip Lens solution, and a better display with an emphasis on the display resolution, refresh rate, colors, and dynamic range. OPPO also had announced that they have signed a multi-year collaboration agreement with Pixelworks, so we can expect to see the Iris 5 visual processor in these devices too.

OPPO Find X2 — XDA Articles

OPPO Reno3 Series

The OPPO Reno3 series was launched in China last month and we know it will eventually launch globally. OPPO’s press release said to “stay tuned” as the Reno3 series will “hit the other market[s] around the world,” after all. As a recap, the Reno3 has a 6.4-inch flat display, MediaTek Dimensity 100L processor, 8/12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,025mAh battery. The rear cameras are 64MP, 8MP wide-angle, monochrome, and portrait. The Reno3 Pro has a 6.5-inch curved display, Snapdragon 765G SoC, 8/12GB of RAM, 128/256GB of storage, and a 4,025mAh battery. The rear cameras are 48MP, 13MP telephoto, 8MP wide-angle, and 2MP monochrome.

The Reno3 was priced around $485 for the 8GB+128GB variant and $530 for the 12GB/128GB variant. The Reno3 Pro cost $570 for the 8GB+128GB variant and $640 for the 12GB/256GB variant.

OPPO Reno3 series — XDA Articles


Qualcomm

Qualcomm will have an event at MWC, but it’s unknown if the company will unveil any new SoCs. They could announce adjacent products like improvements to their WiFi and Bluetooth tech. We don’t know much about their plans yet. Last year, the company announced the X55 5G modem just days before MWC. We’ll keep our eyes open for a similar announcement.


Realme

Realme has confirmed their presence at MWC 2020, with at least one 5G phone expected to be shown off as part of its global launch. This 5G phone could be the Realme X50 5G with the Snapdragon 765G that was announced in China recently, or a new smartphone with Snapdragon 865 (possibly called the Realme X50 Pro) as per more recent reports, or even better, both.

Realme X50 5G

The Realme X50 5G has already been launched in China, so we know what to expect unless there are any variations. One of the highlights of this device is the 120Hz refresh rate 6.57″ FHD+ LCD with an elongated camera cutout for the dual front cameras. The phone comes along with Snapdragon 765G, 4,200 mAh battery with 30W VOOC 4.0 fast charging support, a quad-rear camera setup consisting of a 64MP primary, 8MP wide-angle, 12MP telephoto, and 2MP macro camera, as well as a 16MP primary and 8MP wide-angle camera on the front. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint scanner too.

Realme X50 — XDA Articles


Samsung

Samsung already has its own Galaxy Unpacked event, where it is expected to unveil the new Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip. Galaxy Unpacked 2020 is not coinciding with MWC 2020 as it is held a good two weeks before MWC. As a consequence, we do not expect Samsung to show off any flagship phones at MWC 2020, but instead, use the opportunity to show off its new phones that would have already been launched by then. There is a possibility that Samsung does unveil new releases in its A-series lineup though.


Sony

Sony has confirmed that it has scheduled a press event at MWC 2020. We’re expecting to see the 21:9 aspect ratio Sony Xperia 5 Plus (or whatever its final marketing name would be) to be announced at the event.

Sony Xperia 5 Plus

The Sony Xperia 5 Plus is expected to carry forward the 21:9 trend from Sony with a tall 6.6″ OLED display with thin bezels as well as dual front-facing stereo speakers and an 8MP front camera. The phone is expected to also retain the rectangular boxy look from recent Sony flagships. This phone is also expected to come with a triple rear camera setup with an additional ToF sensor, and a 3.5mm headphone jack too. Leaked renders have suggested a side-mounted fingerprint sensor too, indicating that Sony is not yet ready to make the jump to in-display fingerprint sensors just yet.

Sony Xperia 5 Plus — XDA Articles


TCL

TCL took the stage at CES earlier this year to announce its self-branded smartphones: the TCL 10 5G, TCL 10L, and TCL 10 Pro. The CES announcement showed off the design of the device and some preliminary details, and TCL mentioned that they will announce complete details on the lineup at MWC 2020.

The TCL 10 5G offers sub-6GHz 5G connectivity thanks to a Snapdragon 7-series SoC (likely the Snapdragon 765). The official renders of the phone show off a phone with thin bezels and a quad-camera module (with a 64MP primary camera) above the physical fingerprint scanner on the rear. The highlight of the device will be its price, as the TCL 10 5G is expected to be priced under $500, which should make it one of the more affordable 5G smartphones in the US market.


Vivo

Vivo has also announced its presence for MWC 2020. But much like last year, the company is expected to use the event to show off a concept smartphone, presumably in the APEX lineup.

Vivo Apex 2019

Last year, the Vivo Apex 2019 was shown off as a 5G concept phone made out of a glass unibody, with three pressure-sensitive capacitive buttons on the side as a replacement for conventional press buttons for power and volume. This glass unibody design led the way to eliminate all ports on the device — so the Vivo Apex 2019 had no USB port, no speaker grill, no SIM tray, and of course, no headphone jack. The phone also featured a full-display fingerprint scanner, which means that the in-display fingerprint scanner works to recognize fingers placed anywhere across the display. Of course, as a concept smartphone, the phone was not meant to go under mass production, so Vivo removed the front camera too, because why not. With these risks taken already, we’re very curious where Vivo leads us this year.


Xiaomi

Xiaomi isn’t listed for a press event at MWC 2020 yet, but they do have a booth on the ground. Xiaomi has confirmed that the Chinese OEM will launch the Mi 10 with the Snapdragon 865 in Q1 2020, so that is the likeliest of possibilities of what we can see in their booth — though how they will handle an announcement remains to be seen. We might also see the Mi 10 Pro, whose existence was very recently confirmed.

Mi 10/Mi 10 Pro

At least two phones exist within the Mi 10 lineup, and conventional naming techniques suggest these would be the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. The Mi 10 Pro will support 66W fast charging. We’re hoping to get more quality leaks for these devices as the event approaches.

Xiaomi Mi 10 — XDA Articles


ZTE

ZTE has confirmed attendance at MWC 2020 with a 5G-focused event. Of course, the conversation will revolve around 5G, but it is within the realm of possibility that we also see the company announce the ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G with the Snapdragon 865. The phone has passed through TENAA, so we have a fair idea of what to expect out of the device if it does indeed get launched at MWC.

ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G

The ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G looks nearly identical to the Axon 10 Pro, but there are several key updates. First and foremost, as the name implies, this device will support 5G connectivity. This will be a major point of focus at MWC and ZTE will be onboard with it. ZTE has revealed that the device will feature WiFi 6 with support for dual-WiFi acceleration, LPDDR5 memory, and UFS 3.0 flash storage.

ZTE also let the cat out of the bag about the SoC, which will be the Snapdragon 865. Further leaks have filled-in some of the other details as well. The phone will come in 6GB, 8GB, and 12GB RAM variants, as well as storage options ranging from 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. It has a 48MP main sensor, and what we expect to be a 20MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto sensor. The battery should be 3,900.

ZTE Axon 10s Pro 5G — XDA Articles


MWC 2020 is set to be another huge show for the mobile industry. While we already have a decent idea of what we’ll see at the event, there will absolutely be more than what’s listed on this page. You’ll want to keep up with everything that happens in Barcelona by following our MWC 2020 tag. Who’s excited for a big show?

The post MWC 2020 Preview: Everything we expect from this jam-packed event appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Photos tests a monthly subscription service for automatically printing your best pictures

Google Photos is one of the best examples of a stellar free service on an Android smartphone. Unlimited photo backups, Google Assistant integration, and a whole host of AI features means that it’s a must-have for any Android smartphone user. It’s one of the most feature-packed Google services out there, and Google is continuously adding to it. Google often leverages its AI to create video slideshows, collages, and albums of trips and events. Back in November, Google added the ability for your phone to highlight “Memories” from many years ago, and at the same time, the company also made it possible to order individual prints of your photos. Google is building upon that, as users invited to a new beta program will be able to pay $7.99 a month to automatically receive prints of their best photos every month.

google photos

The idea behind the feature is that every month, you’ll receive 10 photos centered around a theme that you selected when subscribing to the service. The photos are 4×6 printed on matte white cardstock with a 1/8-inch border. The photos are selected from your last 30 days of photography. The themes you can choose from are as follows.

  • Most people and pets: Relive your best moments of people and pets. Get prints featuring them and other great photos every month.
  • Mostly landscapes: Revisit your most memorable places. Get prints of your outdoor shots, city scapes, scenery pics, and more sent to you every month.
  • A little bit of everything: Mix it up! Get a mix of all your best moments! Photos of people, landscapes, and other photos delivered to you each month.

The photos arrive in a cardboard envelope, and are described as being “perfect to put on the fridge, in a frame, or to give as gifts to the important.” It appears that the service is currently only being trialed in the US, and you can check if you have it by going to Google Photos in your web browser. Those invited will see “You’re invited to the monthly photo prints trial” across the top.

While an exciting idea and a way for Google to make money off of a free service, I would personally be worried about the types of photos that it will print. I back up a lot of screenshots to Google Photos, could it accidentally identify one of them as a memorable photo? Google tends to be pretty good at identifying what’s a screenshot and what isn’t, but I’ve also had the service recognize a screenshot as a person. While Google could let you preview the photos that they’re going to send you, that may possibly ruin some of the excitement of a surprise.


Source: 9To5Google

The post Google Photos tests a monthly subscription service for automatically printing your best pictures appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Photos tests a monthly subscription service for automatically printing your best pictures

Google Photos is one of the best examples of a stellar free service on an Android smartphone. Unlimited photo backups, Google Assistant integration, and a whole host of AI features means that it’s a must-have for any Android smartphone user. It’s one of the most feature-packed Google services out there, and Google is continuously adding to it. Google often leverages its AI to create video slideshows, collages, and albums of trips and events. Back in November, Google added the ability for your phone to highlight “Memories” from many years ago, and at the same time, the company also made it possible to order individual prints of your photos. Google is building upon that, as users invited to a new beta program will be able to pay $7.99 a month to automatically receive prints of their best photos every month.

google photos

The idea behind the feature is that every month, you’ll receive 10 photos centered around a theme that you selected when subscribing to the service. The photos are 4×6 printed on matte white cardstock with a 1/8-inch border. The photos are selected from your last 30 days of photography. The themes you can choose from are as follows.

  • Most people and pets: Relive your best moments of people and pets. Get prints featuring them and other great photos every month.
  • Mostly landscapes: Revisit your most memorable places. Get prints of your outdoor shots, city scapes, scenery pics, and more sent to you every month.
  • A little bit of everything: Mix it up! Get a mix of all your best moments! Photos of people, landscapes, and other photos delivered to you each month.

The photos arrive in a cardboard envelope, and are described as being “perfect to put on the fridge, in a frame, or to give as gifts to the important.” It appears that the service is currently only being trialed in the US, and you can check if you have it by going to Google Photos in your web browser. Those invited will see “You’re invited to the monthly photo prints trial” across the top.

While an exciting idea and a way for Google to make money off of a free service, I would personally be worried about the types of photos that it will print. I back up a lot of screenshots to Google Photos, could it accidentally identify one of them as a memorable photo? Google tends to be pretty good at identifying what’s a screenshot and what isn’t, but I’ve also had the service recognize a screenshot as a person. While Google could let you preview the photos that they’re going to send you, that may possibly ruin some of the excitement of a surprise.


Source: 9To5Google

The post Google Photos tests a monthly subscription service for automatically printing your best pictures appeared first on xda-developers.



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