News & Reviews:   Android smartphone

If you have an Android tablet, you may have noticed how the software differs from that of an Android phone. Specifically, Android tablets have a taskbar on the home screen for easier multitasking. Google has been working on an Android phone version of this feature, and we have a glimpse of how it currently looks.

Satellite connectivity has emerged to become the latest trend in the smartphone industry. If you still have no idea what it is, it's basically a feature that allows you to call or text when you're somewhere that prevents connection to the network. The good news is that Google has confirmed it's introducing it with the next iteration of Android, so it should be a common feature by next year, as HUAWEI has introduced its own version with Apple rumoured to bring it to the iPhones.

Yesterday, we reported on the new update to MySejahtera that turns the app into more of a health-oriented app rather than just being used for Covid-19 contact tracing. Called MySejahtera 2.0, the update was only available for iOS devices yesterday but today, it has officially started rolling out to Android devices too.

The Google I/O 2022 event held earlier today showcased new products that have been in the works by the tech giant, including the Pixel 6a launched during the event and the Pixel Tablet, due for release in 2023. Google also give several updates regarding its software, including a new feature in Android 13 which allows for copy and paste across devices.

Google is reportedly working on a feature that would allow for devices running Android 13 to support multiple profiles on a single eSIM. This would essentially allow users to connect to more than one carrier with a single eSIM and make SIM cards obsolete.

Senior technical editor for Android developer platform Esper, Mishaal Rahman in a blog post last Thursday alluded to this feature coming to the big Android 13 update. However, no release date timeframe for the update was mentioned.

Last year, Carl Pei came back into the scene with the brand called Nothing. Its first product was the Nothing ear (1), but it was soon rumoured that the company had more up its sleeve. A smartphone is expected to be one of them, and it might launch this year as predicted.

With how flooded the smartphone market is these days, famous brands have found themselves struggling to compete. Nokia hasn't been all that active after the big announcements for MWC, but a few new models are expected to launch in the coming months. One of them should be a new lower mid-range model, which was recently spotted on TENAA.

When it comes to smartphones, we always appreciate seeing new designs. In that sense, the design for the Brandeis Prometheus is considerably different. This device is an Indiegogo project by a startup and it's expected to ship in November 2020.

When it comes to gaming smartphones, nubia is one of the best around and the company has a new device on the way. In the last few days, nubia CEO Ni Fei has been posting info of the launch date and camera specs for the nubia Play 5G on Weibo. There are quite a few things that have been shared so let's take a look at them.

Aside from the recent news about the new Vive Cosmos VR headsets, it's been a while since we've heard from HTC. So, it was with quite a bit of surprise when the company announced a new entry-level smartphone - the HTC Wildfire R70. The company is being conservative this time, however, and will only make this device available in Thailand and India.