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mercredi 11 mai 2022

Sony’s new Xperia I IV brings a 4K 120Hz display, improved zoom lens, and a large battery

Sony has long given up on the idea of competing against big smartphone OEMs in every market at every possible price bracket. Instead of trying to appeal to mainstream buyers, the company has embraced its identity as a niche player and seems content with catering to a small but dedicated audience. The company’s Xperia 1 line has always stood out from the crowd for its unique characteristics and promoting features that have long disappeared from the mainstream flagships. Today, the Japanese smartphone maker unveiled the next iteration of its flagship, dubbed the Xperia I IV.

Sony Xperia I IV: Specifications

Specification Sony Xperia I IV
Dimensions and Weight
  • 166 x 72 x 8.9mm
  • 211g
Display
  • 6.5-inch 4K OLED HDR (3840 x 1644)
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 240Hz touch sampling rate
  • 100% DCI-P3
  • HDR BT.2020 (Rec.2020)
  • D65 White point
  • 21:9 aspect ratio
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
SoC
  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
    • 1x ARM Cortex-X2 @ 3.0GHz
    • 3x ARM Cortex-A710 @ 2.50GHz
    • 4x ARM Cortex-A510 @ 1.80GHz
  • Adreno 730 GPU
  • 4nm process
RAM and Storage
  • 12GB RAM
  • 256GB/512GB storage
  • MicroSD card support
Battery & Charging
  • 5,000 mAh battery
  • 30W fast charger (inside the box)
  • Wireless charging
  • Reverse wireless charging
Rear Camera
  • Camera setup:
    • Primary: 12MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.7″, 1.8µm, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF
    • Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2, 16mm, 1/2.6″, Dual Pixel PDAF
    • Tertiary: 12MP periscope, f/2.3-2.8, 85mm-125mm, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF
    • Quaternary: 3D iToF sensor
  • Features:
    • ZEISS optics
    • 120fps read out speed (all lenses)
    • 20fps AF/AE tracking burst with noise reduction (all lenses)
    • 60fps continuous AF/AE calculations
    • Real-time Eye AF (all lenses)
    • AI super resolution zoom
    • Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye
    • Cinema Pro 4K 120fps recording with up to 5x slow motion
Front Camera
  • 12MP
Ports
  • USB Type-C port
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity
  • 5G (Sub-6Hz)
  • Bluetooth 5.x
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band WiFi
  • NFC
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Other features
  • Full range front-firing stereo speakers
  • Dolby Atmos
  • Hi-Res Audio
  • 360 Reality Audio (through speakers)
  • 360 Spatial Sound (over headphones)
  • IP68 water and dust resistance
  • Dedicated camera shutter button
Software
  • Android 12 out of the box

By and large, the Xperia I IV is an incremental upgrade, but it does bring some notable improvements to the table, including a brighter display, better telephoto and selfie cameras, new photography features, and a bigger battery.

Sony Xperia 1 IV in black color

The Sony Xperia 1 IV sticks to the same squared-off design that we have seen on the previous Xperia 1 models. You get a large 6.5-inch 4K OLED display on the front with a 120Hz refresh rate and 21:9 aspect ratio. While the size and resolution are unchanged, the new panel is now up to 50% brighter than the last year.

Cameras are once again the main focus here. Sony hasn’t fallen for the megapixel race, choosing to use the good old 12MP resolution sensor for all three cameras. The main shooter has an f/1.7 aperture with 24mm equivalent focal length, optical image stabilization, and 1.8-micron pixels. The 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide shooter is the same as the last year.

The Xperia I IV camera hardware close up

The telephoto sensor is where we see an upgrade. Sony has used a variable periscope zoom lens that can seamlessly switch between different focal lengths between 85mm and 125mm. That means you can now shoot at 90mm, 100mm, or any other focal length between the 85mm-125mm range without degrading the resolution. This wasn’t possible on the Xperia 1 III, which could only switch between two focal lengths: 70mm and 105mm.

All three lenses offer 120fps read-out speeds, Real-time Eye AF, 20fps burst shooting with HDR, and 60fps continuous autofocus and auto-exposure calculations. Other noteworthy camera features include 4K 120fps video recording, Videography Pro with Live streaming support, and improved HDR video recording. Over on the front, the selfie camera has been upgraded from 8MP to 12MP.

Under the hood, the Xperia 1 IV is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage. The phone packs a large 5,000mAh battery — a step up from the 4,500mAh cell on the Xperia 1 III — and supports fast wired, wireless, and reverse wireless charging.

Sony is one of the few OEMs that pays close attention to the audio experience, and the new Xperia 1 IV is a testament to that. The phone comes equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack, full-range dual stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos support, 360 Reality Audio, and Hi-Res Audio support. The on-device speakers are now much louder thanks to the addition of an extra booster unit, improving the low-range sound.

On the software side, the Xperia I IV runs a near-stock version of Android 12 out of the box. Other noteworthy highlights include a side-mounted fingerprint reader, IP68 water and dust protection, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, a microSD card slot, and dual SIM.

Pricing & Availability

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is priced at $1,600 and will go on sale in September 2022. It’s available for pre-order starting today from Sony’s website in black and purple colors.

The post Sony’s new Xperia I IV brings a 4K 120Hz display, improved zoom lens, and a large battery appeared first on XDA.



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mardi 10 mai 2022

Netflix’s ad-supported tier could arrive by end of 2022

Streaming giant Netflix recently reported a loss of subscribers for the first time in ten years. Unfortunately, that loss of nearly 200,000 subscribers looks to be just the tip of the iceberg. The company has also forecasted that things could get much worse, leading to even more user hemorrhaging somewhere in the millions in Q2. Because of this, it looks like Netflix will add a lower-priced ad-supported tier to its streaming service.

For many years, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has talked about why Netflix doesn’t need to compromise its service with an ad-supported tier. However, last month, he changed his tune, and now reports are popping up that say the process to bring this new tier to the struggling service has accelerated. According to sources, this new ad-supported tier of Netflix could arrive by year’s end. The goal would be to launch it sometime in the final three months of 2022.  This would be an excellent time to introduce the service tier, as the holiday season does see a massive bump in viewership when compared to the rest of the year.

The goal would be to launch it sometime in the final three months of 2022

While its rivals offer ad-supported tiers, Netflix has been stubborn, choosing to continuously bump up its prices. Most recently, the service increased its monthly subscriptions in March 2022. At the moment, its Premium plan will cost $19.99 a month, while its Standard plan will cost $15.49, and its Basic plan comes in at $9.99. These prices don’t bode well when looking toward the competition. The company’s prices have steadily increased over the years and are in stark contrast to the original prices that were introduced in 2014. This doesn’t even put into consideration how much more crowded the streaming services scene has become, with consumers having an overwhelming number of choices.

Regardless of what path Netflix takes, it is sure to alter its customers’ experience. Netflix is in dire need of a new strategy, but will the ad-support tier be too little too late?


Source: The New York Times

The post Netflix’s ad-supported tier could arrive by end of 2022 appeared first on XDA.



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Netflix’s ad-supported tier could arrive by end of 2022

Streaming giant Netflix recently reported a loss of subscribers for the first time in ten years. Unfortunately, that loss of nearly 200,000 subscribers looks to be just the tip of the iceberg. The company has also forecasted that things could get much worse, leading to even more user hemorrhaging somewhere in the millions in Q2. Because of this, it looks like Netflix will add a lower-priced ad-supported tier to its streaming service.

For many years, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has talked about why Netflix doesn’t need to compromise its service with an ad-supported tier. However, last month, he changed his tune, and now reports are popping up that say the process to bring this new tier to the struggling service has accelerated. According to sources, this new ad-supported tier of Netflix could arrive by year’s end. The goal would be to launch it sometime in the final three months of 2022.  This would be an excellent time to introduce the service tier, as the holiday season does see a massive bump in viewership when compared to the rest of the year.

The goal would be to launch it sometime in the final three months of 2022

While its rivals offer ad-supported tiers, Netflix has been stubborn, choosing to continuously bump up its prices. Most recently, the service increased its monthly subscriptions in March 2022. At the moment, its Premium plan will cost $19.99 a month, while its Standard plan will cost $15.49, and its Basic plan comes in at $9.99. These prices don’t bode well when looking toward the competition. The company’s prices have steadily increased over the years and are in stark contrast to the original prices that were introduced in 2014. This doesn’t even put into consideration how much more crowded the streaming services scene has become, with consumers having an overwhelming number of choices.

Regardless of what path Netflix takes, it is sure to alter its customers’ experience. Netflix is in dire need of a new strategy, but will the ad-support tier be too little too late?


Source: The New York Times

The post Netflix’s ad-supported tier could arrive by end of 2022 appeared first on XDA.



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Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3 brings back the vibration icon in status bar

While Android 12 brought many exciting changes to the table, it also made a few questionable decisions, like removing the vibration icon from the status bar. The change didn’t sit well with many users. Android 13 Beta 1 signaled that Google was working on reverting this change and would add a dedicated toggle to let users restore the vibration icon. But it appears we won’t have to wait for the final release of Android 13 to get the new toggle; It’s already live in Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3.

As spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the latest Android QRP3 beta brings back the ability to display the vibration icon in the status bar. Currently, Pixel phones running Android 12 don’t show any icon in the status bar when you put the phone in the vibrate mode, only displaying the silent mode icon. But in Android 12 QRP3 Beta 3, there’s a new toggle “Always show icon when in vibrate mode” under Settings > Sound & vibration that lets you revert this change.

The latest beta release also adds a new “Battery” widget category in Pixel Launcher, making it less cumbersome for average users to find the new battery widget that first debuted on Android 12L Beta 3. Originally it was found under the “Settings Services” category.


Android 12 QRP3 Beta 3 is currently available for eligible Pixel phones, including the Pixel 4 series, Pixel 5, and Pixel 6 family, with the final release slated for June.

The post Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3 brings back the vibration icon in status bar appeared first on XDA.



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via IFTTT

Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3 brings back the vibration icon in status bar

While Android 12 brought many exciting changes to the table, it also made a few questionable decisions, like removing the vibration icon from the status bar. The change didn’t sit well with many users. Android 13 Beta 1 signaled that Google was working on reverting this change and would add a dedicated toggle to let users restore the vibration icon. But it appears we won’t have to wait for the final release of Android 13 to get the new toggle; It’s already live in Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3.

As spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the latest Android QRP3 beta brings back the ability to display the vibration icon in the status bar. Currently, Pixel phones running Android 12 don’t show any icon in the status bar when you put the phone in the vibrate mode, only displaying the silent mode icon. But in Android 12 QRP3 Beta 3, there’s a new toggle “Always show icon when in vibrate mode” under Settings > Sound & vibration that lets you revert this change.

The latest beta release also adds a new “Battery” widget category in Pixel Launcher, making it less cumbersome for average users to find the new battery widget that first debuted on Android 12L Beta 3. Originally it was found under the “Settings Services” category.


Android 12 QRP3 Beta 3 is currently available for eligible Pixel phones, including the Pixel 4 series, Pixel 5, and Pixel 6 family, with the final release slated for June.

The post Android 12 QPR3 Beta 3 brings back the vibration icon in status bar appeared first on XDA.



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lundi 9 mai 2022

TWRP adds official support for the Samsung Galaxy S20, Note 20, and more

Team Win Recovery Project, more widely known as TWRP, is the most popular custom recovery solution for Android devices. TWRP allows you to do everything from flashing custom ROMs to creating full backups, all in a few taps. But in order to do any of this with full compatibility, you need to have a device that’s officially supported by the project. Thankfully, the team behind TWRP keeps adding support for devices ever so often. Since our previous coverage, TWRP developers have expanded support to the Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup, the Galaxy Note 20 series, and a few more devices.

TWRP now offers official builds for the global Exynos variants of the Galaxy S20 and Note 20. It’s a bit surprising that the TWRP releases for Samsung’s 2020 flagships were unofficial until recently. Nonetheless, the official images are compiled against the latest Android 12-based One UI 4.1 kernel sources, which is a big plus in terms of compatibility.

Device and XDA Forum link Device codename and TWRP Portal Link Maintainer
Samsung Galaxy S20 x1s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus y2s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra z3s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 c1s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra c2s corsicanu

In addition, the following devices have also received support over the last few weeks:

Device and XDA Forum link Device codename and TWRP Portal Link Maintainer
Samsung Galaxy A12 a12nseea Edward0181
Samsung Galaxy J1 Ace Duos j1pop3g J110H-Android
Samsung Galaxy Tab E 9.6 3G gtel3g KrutosX
Realme 8i/Narzo 50 spaced DrtSinX98
Realme X7 Max 5G/GT Neo RMX3031 ManshuTyagi

The installation process for a custom recovery varies by device, but the above-mentioned TWRP portal links should point you in the right direction for the phone (or the tablet) of your choosing. Samsung devices usually require Odin to install a recovery image, for example, while you can use the standard Fastboot utility for devices from other OEMs. We have a detailed overview and tutorial for installing TWRP on Android phones, if you’re interested.

The post TWRP adds official support for the Samsung Galaxy S20, Note 20, and more appeared first on XDA.



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TWRP adds official support for the Samsung Galaxy S20, Note 20, and more

Team Win Recovery Project, more widely known as TWRP, is the most popular custom recovery solution for Android devices. TWRP allows you to do everything from flashing custom ROMs to creating full backups, all in a few taps. But in order to do any of this with full compatibility, you need to have a device that’s officially supported by the project. Thankfully, the team behind TWRP keeps adding support for devices ever so often. Since our previous coverage, TWRP developers have expanded support to the Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup, the Galaxy Note 20 series, and a few more devices.

TWRP now offers official builds for the global Exynos variants of the Galaxy S20 and Note 20. It’s a bit surprising that the TWRP releases for Samsung’s 2020 flagships were unofficial until recently. Nonetheless, the official images are compiled against the latest Android 12-based One UI 4.1 kernel sources, which is a big plus in terms of compatibility.

Device and XDA Forum link Device codename and TWRP Portal Link Maintainer
Samsung Galaxy S20 x1s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus y2s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra z3s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 c1s corsicanu
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra c2s corsicanu

In addition, the following devices have also received support over the last few weeks:

Device and XDA Forum link Device codename and TWRP Portal Link Maintainer
Samsung Galaxy A12 a12nseea Edward0181
Samsung Galaxy J1 Ace Duos j1pop3g J110H-Android
Samsung Galaxy Tab E 9.6 3G gtel3g KrutosX
Realme 8i/Narzo 50 spaced DrtSinX98
Realme X7 Max 5G/GT Neo RMX3031 ManshuTyagi

The installation process for a custom recovery varies by device, but the above-mentioned TWRP portal links should point you in the right direction for the phone (or the tablet) of your choosing. Samsung devices usually require Odin to install a recovery image, for example, while you can use the standard Fastboot utility for devices from other OEMs. We have a detailed overview and tutorial for installing TWRP on Android phones, if you’re interested.

The post TWRP adds official support for the Samsung Galaxy S20, Note 20, and more appeared first on XDA.



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