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Arm has revealed its latest crop of CPUs and GPUs, set to be used in Android phone processors later this year and in 2021. From Qualcomm and Huawei to Samsung and MediaTek, we're expecting all the major silicon players to use the new tech. Speaking of these chip companies, what should we expect from them and the mobile SoC industry at large next year? A massive leap in CPU power (for some) The next generation of Android processors could see the biggest CPU performance leap in quite some time, as the new Cortex-X1 Arm CPU prioritizes power over efficiency. This strategy means you can expect a power increase of up to 30% compared to the Cortex-A77 used in Qualcomm, Samsung, and MediaTek's flagship chipsets. In fact, the Cortex-X1 is expected to be up to 23% more powerful than the Cortex-A78, announced alongside the X1. Arm has stated that the Cortex-X1 might only be available to specific chipset makers, meaning some chip brands might be left without the hefty CPU. So expect a rat...

Opinion post byC. Scott Brown Earlier this week, a new interview with OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau hit the internet. During the interview, Lau talked quite a bit about the company's plans in the near and far off future. He also talked about some cheap OnePlus phones on the way. While it's far from a secret at this point that a budget-oriented OnePlus phone is coming soon (likely called the OnePlus Z), one particular quote from Lau's interview caused us to scratch our heads. The quote came through an interpreter, so maybe something's being lost in translation. At face value, though, it's a very curious quote about cheap OnePlus phones. Check out Lau's quote below: What we're seeing is that with current products, there's still a demand from a large consumer base for a more suitable price that enables more consumers to be able to access OnePlus products. That's really important insight, and it's something that we're taking into very serio...

While neither has marketed its own car yet, dueling tech giants Apple and Google elbowed their way into the automotive industry with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both project some degree of the smartphone's home screen onto the screen in your car's dash, and both offer the ability to manage basic phone features hands-free. Regardless of whether it's Android or Apple, the connectivity benefits are clear. They both bring features (including navigation and a growing list of third-party apps) to vehicles that wouldn't otherwise have them. More and more automakers are adding Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility to their cars; even Toyota is finally jumping on the bandwagon. Here's how these two systems are similar, and how they're different. Further reading How they're similar In many ways, the two systems reach the same destination, but how they get there is a bit different. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto project a simplifie...

As the gatekeeper of Android, Google frequently finds itself in an awkward position. The company has its own platform-wide priorities and ways it wants its ecosystems to evolve, but it also has the goals of all the third-party manufacturers that create hardware for those virtual environments to consider. And guess what? Google's priorities and the desires of the companies making the bulk of the devices don't always align. And that forces Google to do a delicate dance in order to push forward with its own plans without saying anything that'd go directly against a device-maker's interests. Well, it's time to stop beating around the bush and just say what Google won't openly acknowledge: You should not be buying an Android tablet in 2020. Period. It's a pretty hefty meatball to toss out there, I realize, and a funny thing to hear in a column about Android — but it's something we've been building up to for quite a ...

Motorola has confirmed that its new flagship phone, the Motorola Edge, will only receive one Android update. The new device, which is a cheaper version of the Motorola Edge Plus, will get one guaranteed update to Android 11 (which will likely land later this year), the company confirmed in response to a question I asked during a product demo yesterday.  In a follow-up email, Motorola explained that the possibility of future Android updates will be "under evaluation". The statement went on to explain that "both phones [the Edge and Edge Plus] will continue to receive quarterly security updates for two years".  As you may have noticed, the solitary Android update for the Edge doesn't tally with the guaranteed two Android updates for the Edge Plus. At the end of April Motorola had initially said that the Edge Plus would also only receive one update to Android 11, but it later reversed that decision and promised another update - bringing the total to two, w...

reader comments 12 with 11 posters participating, including story author Share this story Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Reddit A Norwegian infosec firm discovered a new Android vulnerability, which they've dubbed Strandhogg 2.0. Security firm Promon says "Strandhogg" is an old Norse strategy for coastline raids and abductions, and today's vulnerability is the "evil twin" of a similar one discovered in 2019. The original Strandhogg used an Android feature called taskAffinity to hijack applications—by setting the taskAffinity of one of its activities to match the packageName of any other app, then setting allowTaskReparenting="true" in its own manifest, the Strandhogg app would be launched in place of the target app. Imagine tapping the legitimate Gmail icon on your phone and getting what appears to be a legitimate login prompt, pixel-for-pixel identical with...

TCL is promising one major Android OS update. Their current range of phones ships with the current version of the operating system, Android 10. TCL is says their devices will get security patches every two months for two years. Off To A Good Start The company announced the TCL 10 Pro and 10L handsets quite recently. TCL is known for it's great value for money TVs. The smartphone division is equally affordable. The smartphones only cost $450 and $250 respectively. Both versions of Android 10 are very stock by industry standards. They offer great value for money with minimal bloat.  It is easier to update Android phones with less heavy manufacturer overlays. The TCL 10 Pro and 10L are virtually stock Android. Android 10 is extremely fleshed out in contrast to the early days of Android. TCL pushing a Android 11 update should give even more life to the product. Keeping Step With The Competition Similarly priced budget phones, like the Moto G series, have a spotty history with Android u...

There are plenty of valid reasons to sell your old Android phone or iPhone ($699 at Apple). You're eyeing a new device, like the iPhone SE, Galaxy A51 or OnePlus 8 ($699 at OnePlus) and want to recoup some of the costs. You have older phones laying around that you don't really use and haven't repurposed. Or maybe you're simplifying by moving from a pricier model, like the Galaxy S10 Plus ($1,000 at Sprint) or iPhone XS ($900 at Sprint), to a cheaper phone and you just want a little more cash in your pocket. Whatever the reason, it's important to know your options for selling your phone or trading it in to a carrier, or using a peer-to-peer marketplace like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, and how to get the most money for you...

Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, and for good reason. Google's open source operating system is used by practically every phone manufacturer on the planet, with the exception of Apple, of course. With so many different options with unique UIs, features, and specs, it is pretty simple to find a device that is perfect for you. Some of the best Android phones are made by top manufacturers like Samsung, however, smaller firms have quickly risen to the top tier over the past several years. Companies like OnePlus pride themselves on providing flagship experiences without the premium price tag. Even on the budget side of things, the best Android phones are significantly improving. Now it is possible to have a quality smartphone without breaking the bank. Samsung is the largest Android phone maker on the market. It overshadows even Google itself in sheer output, and its largest competition is Apple's iPhone. Samsung has also always pu...

With 5G networks and phones becoming more common by the day, Google has revealed how it'll display 5G network icons on your phones with Android 11. Google's updated icons will help users tell the difference between sub-6GHz 5G, mmWave 5G, and LTE Advanced Pro networks. The new iconography will be as follows. LTE LTE with carrier aggregation (LTE+) Advanced pro LTE (5Ge) sub-6GHz (5G) mmWave (5G+) These 5G categorizations might seem like a jumbled mess right now, but let's try put things into perspective. Sub-6GHz 5G networks such as those of AT&T and T-Mobile have wider coverage than say Verizon's mmWave "Ultra Wideband" network. But mmWave 5G is generally faster than sub-6Ghz, even though they travel shorter distances. You can read more about how exactly 5G works in our explainer post here. Currently in the US, Verizon only offers mmWave 5G to consumers on phones like the OnePlus 8 5G (UW), LG V60 ThinQ 5G (UW) or the Galaxy S20 Plus/Ultra (UW). The '...

You can clear your Gboard history to reset your keyboard's dictionary on Android and Apple phones by accessing your device's settings or the Gboard app's settings, respectively. Gboard, Google's digital keyboard, keeps a running dictionary of words you frequently use so that its autocorrect capabilities can serve you better. Sometimes Gboard's keyboard history feature can work to your disadvantage, especially if the digital keyboard learns a spelling mistake. Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories. One handy feature of Gboard, Google's virtual keyboard, is that it uses smart learning technology to establish and update a dictionary of words you regularly use. It's a helpful tool that cuts down on having to correct the smart keyboard's auto-correction feature constantly. The flip side is that sometimes the dictionary will overenthusiastically correct you. If you make a typo on the same word too ...