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mardi 30 juin 2020

Qualcomm essentially confirms the OnePlus Nord has a 5G Snapdragon chipset

OnePlus recently confirmed that its upcoming affordable smartphone series, which was previously referred to as the OnePlus 8 Lite and later rumored to be the OnePlus Z, will be called OnePlus Nord. However, the company has still not released any official information about its specifications. While previous leaks about the device have given us a good look at its design and camera hardware, rumors about its internal specifications have been contradictory so far. At first, rumors suggested that the OnePlus Nord would be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chipset. However, we later learned that it might feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 SoC. But now we can finally confirm that the OnePlus Nord will be powered by a 5G-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC.

According to a recent tweet from Qualcomm EU’s official Twitter handle, the upcoming OnePlus Nord will be powered by a “Snapdragon 5G chipset”. While the company hasn’t confirmed exactly which chipset will make an appearance on the OnePlus Nord it could be the Snapdragon 765G, if previous rumors are to be believed. We have already seen mention of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G in a survey from OnePlus which asked users whether they would be willing to purchase a smartphone from OnePlus with the processor, a 64MP triple camera setup, a 4,300mAh battery with 30W fast charging, and a 90Hz refresh rate display at ₹24,990. But we currently don’t have any confirmation if the upcoming device will offer these specifications. The OnePlus Nord is expected to launch in India and Europe on July 10th. OnePlus has confirmed that the device will be priced under $500.

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Google rolls out wireless gameplay using the Stadia Controller on your Android phone

Google Stadia launched over 6 months ago and a big selling point of the cloud gaming service is not needing a bunch of expensive gaming equipment. The only real hardware you need is a computer with access to a web browser like Google Chrome, a Chromecast Ultra, or an Android smartphone. However, if you wanted to play games with your phone using the Stadia Controller, you needed to awkwardly plug in the controller with a USB cable since the controller could not wirelessly connect. That restriction is finally being lifted today.

In the latest This Week on Stadia update, Google announced several new games coming to the platform in July. The newest free games for Stadia Pro subscribers include Crayta, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, SteamWorld Dig, and West of Loathing. The Elder Scrolls Online is coming later in July. Today is also the last day to claim Serious Sam CollectionSpitlings, and Stacks On Stacks (On Stacks) for free.

The biggest announcement, however, is a much-requested feature for mobile gameplay. The Stadia Controller can now wirelessly connect to your Stadia-capable Android smartphone. This change is coming through an update to the Stadia mobile app and it’s rolling out starting today. The controller and your phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network to connect.

Google also posted a recap of all the Stadia-related announcements made during the month of June. A few of the noteworthy additions include touch controls on mobile, expanded compatibility with OnePlus phones, per-device resolution settings, an experiment tab for playing on unsupported Android devices, and plenty of new game launches. While Stadia may have seemed like a lackluster cloud gaming service at launch, it has slowly gained a lot of great features and titles. The service still has a need for improvement, especially when it comes to its catalog of games, but it’s becoming a viable contender in the game streaming space.

Stadia (Free, Google Play) →


Source: Google

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Google officially acquires North, makers of the Focals augmented reality glasses

Most of us remember Google’s brief stint with consumer augmented reality smart glasses several years ago. That product, called the Google Glass, included an optical head-mounted display that was mounted to a glass frame. While it was definitely futuristic, it was never a product that saw mass consumer acceptance. An enterprise version is still around to this day, with the latest version being released in 2019. While Google doesn’t have more Glass-specific news to share today, they did make an announcement that will surely affect the company’s future in AR smart glasses. Google has announced today that they’ve acquired North, a Canadian tech company that made the “Focals” augmented reality smart glasses, for an undisclosed sum.

North will be contributing to Google’s tech in the AR space by joining the latter’s team in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. In the press release, Google says that the North team will continue to work on “ambient computing” technologies under Google. Following the acquisition, we could see Google use North’s tech for either improving the current Google Glass design or for making similar products.  North’s Focals product provided a friendly take on smart glasses, more closely resembling regular glasses (in contrast to Google Glass) with a transparent display mounted on one of the frames to show things like messages and navigation directions. However, its $600 starting price was quite expensive, putting the smart glasses out of reach for the average consumer.

The company was preparing a successor to the first-generation Focals smart glasses, dubbed Focals 2.0, which has now been shelved as part of Google’s acquisition. The Focals app and account backend will cease functioning after July 31st, 2020, though customer support for the product will continue through to the end of 2020.

Google has said that buyers of the Focals will be fully refunded, which is a move that is sure to satisfy some consumers unhappy with this news. After all, the Focals are actual glasses, so it’s not like they can just be thrown away. Current owners of Focals may feel disappointed that the second-generation product won’t be shipping, but we’re excited to see the results of the company’s acquisition by Google.

Source 1: Google / Source 2: North


Featured image credits: North

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YouTube TV is raising the monthly subscription to $65

Google launched YouTube TV in a select few U.S. cities for $35 per month back in 2017. Every year since then, the company has added more channels while also increasing the monthly subscription price. The first price increase bumped the cost to $40 per month, and the second price increase raised prices to $50 per month last year. Now, the service is seeing its biggest price hike yet: Up $15/month to now $65 per month.

As with every other price bump, Google is adding a bunch of new channels to YouTube TV. Whether you like these channels or not, you will now be paying for them. The channels include Viacom channels such as BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land, and VH1. BET Her, MTV2, MTV Classic, Nick Jr., NickToons, and TeenNick will be added later as well.

YouTube TV launched with around 50 channels and the list has grown to over 85. It’s not unreasonable to raise the prices for more content, but the price hikes only feel acceptable when the channels that have been added are ones that people have been asking for, are part of an optional package, or undercut competition live TV packages. With this price change, YouTube TV is starting to feel like just another cable TV package. People don’t like to pay for channels they won’t watch, and the more channels that are added the more people feel they’re paying too much. $65 per month is tough to swallow if you only care about a handful of channels.

The new price goes into effect today for new YouTube TV subscribers and existing customers will see the new price on bills after July 30th. Google did acknowledge that this is a considerable price jump and it’s “working to build new flexible models for YouTube TV users, so we can continue to provide a robust and innovative experience for everyone in your household without the commitments of traditional TV.” No further details were given, though.


Hulu with Live TV costs $55/month, AT&T TV Now starts at $55/month, Sling TV costs $45/month, and FuboTV costs $55/month, so there are definitely other options out there. Will you be paying $65 per month for YouTube TV?

YouTube TV - Watch & Record Live TV (Free, Google Play) →


Source: Google | Via: 9to5Google

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Google is hosting a “Hey Google” Smart Home Summit to unveil new Google Assistant developer tools

Google I/O 2020, which was scheduled for May, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other tech companies, Google has been trying to make up for it with virtual events. The latest virtual event is the “Works with ‘Hey Google’ Smart Home Summit” on July 8th.

The Hey Google Smart Home Summit is an event focused on the new tools and features for the smart home developer community. Of course, a big part of the company’s smart home strategy revolves around Google Assistant, which will be a big focus of the event as well.

Google has shared the agenda for the 2-day event with the topics and speakers that will be featured. Things get started on July 8th at 1:45 PM ET with the opening keynote by Michele Turner, the Product Management director of the Smart Home Ecosystem. Some of the other speakers include executives from LG, Vizio, IKEA, and, of course, other departments within Google.

Registration for the Hey Google Smart Home Summit is free and the times of the panels have been scheduled to align with multiple time zones. Many of the panels will be viewable on-demand as well. If you’re a developer working on Google Assistant and smart home tools, this is an event you’ll want to “attend.”


Source: Google | Event Agenda

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Motorola Razr and Realme 3/3i Android 10 kernel sources are now available

Measuring the developer-friendliness of a particular Android OEM is a difficult task. However, their stance on kernel source code release is undoubtedly an important parameter in this regard. Android device makers are obliged to provide the source code – at least upon request – for any Linux kernel binaries that ship on their devices to comply with the requirements of the GNU General Public License (GPL) v2. Not every company goes by the book, though, as a handful of them regularly publish source code for all the updates they roll out.

Motorola is one of the most notable names in this field, and the OEM has now updated their official GitHub repository with the kernel source code release for the Motorola Razr (code-name “olson”). We are talking about the recent incarnation of this iconic clamshell phone, which was launched with Android 9 Pie for some weird reason. Fortunately, the newly released kernel source corresponds to the Android 10 update that rolled out last month.

The release is tagged as QPV30.106-27, which is the build number of the Android 10 firmware running on the European Motorola Razr units. Note that the Verizon variant of the phone received a different build (QDV30.106-27) as its Android 10 update.

Motorola Razr Android 10 Kernel Sources ||| Motorola Razr XDA Forums

Apart from Motorola, Realme also has a good track record of releasing kernel sources in a timely manner. The Chinese smartphone brand has now refreshed its official GitHub repo with the unified Android 10 kernel source code for the Realme 3 and the Realme 3i. The phone duo received their Android 10-based Realme UI update back in April, which means Realme is slightly late to update the existing codebase this time around.

Realme 3 XDA Forums ||| Realme 3i XDA Forums

Realme 3/3i Android 10 Kernel Sources

The availability of these packages should help the aftermarket development community to build custom kernels and ROMs for the aforementioned devices.

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Samsung Galaxy A51 5G and LG Velvet are both headed to Verizon

Back in April, Samsung announced the availability of the Galaxy A51 5G for the U.S. market. The original Galaxy A51 was a vast improvement over the original Galaxy A50 and A50s with upgrades such as a more modern Infinity-O display, quad cameras, a different design language, and more. The Galaxy A51 5G took it even further by bundling in a hot 2020 feature: 5G support. Likewise, the LG Velvet was also announced recently with a mid-range Snapdragon 765G processor for 5G-enabled markets. As it turns out, both devices might be coming to Verizon soon.

At the time of its announcement, Samsung did not disclose when the Galaxy A51 5G will go on sale, what carriers it will be available on, or what processor it will use. But there’s mounting evidence that it might come soon under the Verizon banner and with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The Wi-Fi Alliance has certified a Samsung phone with the model number SM-A516V, where SM-A516 is the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G and the V stands for Verizon. Likewise, the NFC Forum has certified the same model number, SM-A516V.

Another certification filing we’ve spotted reveals that the commercial name of SM-A516V is, indeed, “Galaxy A51 5G.” Since the name doesn’t mention “Galaxy A51 5G UW”, it’s possible the A51 won’t support mmWave 5G on Verizon’s Ultrawide Band 5G network (but rather Verizon’s upcoming sub-6GHz 5G network). However, this is merely speculation and there’s no concrete evidence one way or another. Next, multiple Geekbench listings for “SM-A516V” suggest that the device is running on Qualcomm’s lito platform, where “lito” is the code-name for the Snapdragon 765/765G. XDA’s Max Weinbach verifies that the build numbers submitted with these Geekbench filings are legitimate, though we can’t 100% confirm that the benchmark listing themselves are actually real.

What we can corroborate, though, is the fact that the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G is coming to Verizon and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. We spotted a “samsung_a51xq” model being added to an internal Verizon listing, where “q” normally indicates a Qualcomm model. However, we can’t confirm if this is the Snapdragon 765/765G or not.

This internal Verizon listing also reveals a device code-named “caymanlm”, which is the code-name for the LG Velvet. This indicates that LG’s latest smartphone will also be coming to Verizon soon. Notably, another 5G Samsung device, the Galaxy A71 5G, is also coming to Verizon with the Snapdragon 765G, which seems to be the go-to choice for 5G mid-range phones this year. While the Snapdragon 690 was announced recently, no phone is using it just yet.

LG Velvet Forums ||| Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Forums

Featured image: Samsung Galaxy A51 5G

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[Update: Windows app live] Amazon Prime Video finally gets a Windows app and may add live TV

Update (6/30/20 @ 11:25 AM ET): The Amazon Prime Video app for Windows is now live and user can sign in.

Streaming services are among the most popular applications on any platform, and that’s certainly the case for Microsoft’s Windows as well. While users on Windows have the option to stream videos from these services in a web browser, they can also opt for downloading dedicated apps from the Microsoft Store. Netflix and Hulu have apps available on the Microsoft Store, and it finally looks like Amazon will be joining the party with its own Prime Video Windows app. On top of that, a separate report from Protocol suggests that Amazon may be looking to add live TV to the mix.

Amazon Prime Video – Finally on the Microsoft Store

First, let’s talk about the Amazon Prime Video app for Windows. This is a UWP (Universal Windows Platform) app which means it is designed to not only be compatible with Windows desktops but also with tablets and Xbox consoles. That’s not major news for Xbox users, though, because there’s already a Prime Video app for Xbox and the Microsoft Store listing only lists “PC” under “Available on.” Netflix, another UWP app, for example, lists “Xbox One, PC, and Mobile device.”

Anyway, the app itself looks to be a pretty standard Amazon Prime Video client. The main screen features horizontal lists of shows and movies with a sidebar on the left. The sidebar can take you to the Amazon Store, channels, categories, “My Stuff,” downloads, and “Kids.” As the Downloads section suggests, the app does indeed support downloading videos to watch offline.

You can find the Prime Video app in the Microsoft Store right now and install it. At the time of publication, if you try to sign in you’ll get an error message. We expect Amazon to officially announce the app’s availability soon. Watching video in a web browser from primevideo.com (outside of the U.S.) or from Amazon.com was never a great experience, especially on Windows 10 on ARM devices like the Microsoft Surface Pro X, so we hope the UWP app provides a much better experience.

Live TV on Prime Video

The next bit of Prime Video news comes from Janko Roettgers at Protocol. According to the report, which cites both several job listings and unnamed sources, Amazon plans to add 24/7 live programming and linear programming to the service. 24/7 feeds would enable customers to watch streams of TV stations airing sports, news, movies, and more. This would make Prime Video a direct competitor to services like YouTube TV and Sling TV.

Prime Video has traditionally focused on on-demand streaming and rentals, though it has dabbled in live content before. Amazon has broadcasted NFL Thursday Night Football games and live Cheddar and ABC News channels in the News app. Users can also sign up for cable TV channels through the Amazon Channels feature.

Amazon’s combination of Prime Video on-demand content and live programming would make it a very attractive option in the streaming space. Even if it doesn’t have the same variety of channels as YouTube TV, it would be the cherry on top of an already popular service. Many people still watch linear TV channels and adding that to Prime Video would bring even more customers over. The fact that job listings for implementing this feature still up suggest that it could be a while before anything materializes, though.

Source 1: Microsoft Store | Via 1: Aggiornamenti Lumia | Source 2: Protocol


Update: Windows app live

Last week, the Amazon Prime Video app for Windows appeared in the Microsoft Store. The app could be installed, but it wasn’t possible to sign in. Amazon has now flipped the switch and users can sign in and use the app. You can download the app from the Microsoft Store link below. Go forth and stream!

Source: Microsoft Store | Via: MSPoweruser

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Amazon Prime Video’s “Watch Party” feature lets you watch TV shows and movies together

Every day, more of our interactions with others happen over the internet. You can play video games with a friend across the country, watch your nephew’s soccer game at home, and do a video call with a group of people all around the globe. Amazon’s latest feature for Prime Video is called “Watch Party” and it allows people to watch TV shows and movies together over the internet.

Amazon Prime Video “Watch Party” is a co-watching feature initially coming to the US. It’s included with a Prime membership and it allows people to watch content remotely with others, perfectly synchronized. One person is the “host” and they can start, stop, and pause the playback for everyone. It’s like watching a movie in the same room and one person has the remote.

Each Watch Party session can include up to 100 participants who must also have Amazon Prime memberships. The session also includes a built-in chat for text and emoji conversation. Watch Party currently only works on the desktop and it supports thousands of the TV shows and movies available through Prime Video. Content that can be purchased or rented is not included.

To start a session, simply navigate to the TV show or movie you want to watch and click the Watch Party icon. The host will be given a link that they can share with family and friends. Clicking the link will join the session and the content will be synced with the host.

We’ve seen similar features and 3rd-party extensions for other streaming services, so it’s great to see Prime Video joining in. Even before the pandemic kept many people at home, watching movies and TV shows with friends over the internet is something people did. Now it’s even easier for Prime members.


Sources: Amazon (1), (2) | Via: TechCrunch

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Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon Wear 4100 for better performance and battery life on Wear OS smartwatches

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 4100 smartwatch platforms, consisting of the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and the Snapdragon Wear 4100. These new smartwatch SoCs are designed for next-generation connected smartwatches and based on Qualcomm’s ultra-low-power hybrid architecture. To provide better context to this news release, let’s delve into the background of Wear OS first.

The first Android Wear smartwatches were launched in 2014. For a while, Android Wear seemed the next big thing after big-screen smartphones. There was the much-hyped first-generation Moto 360, the halo Android Wear watch. There were popular watches launched by Huawei, ASUS, and others. Android Wear even arrived at the market a few months ahead of the Apple Watch. However, all of these early efforts fizzled out. The second-generation Moto 360 never received an official successor. Other companies withdrew from releasing new Android Wear watches. The Apple Watch was released in early 2015, and the rest is history. It is now by far the most popular smartwatch in the world, and the consensus of the industry agrees that Android Wear – re-branded by Google as Wear OS in 2018 – is far behind. While Apple is now the biggest watch company in the world, Wear OS watches suffer from the catch-22 issues of poor value, lack of consumer interest, lack of vision, and so much more.

Some blame for that lies on Google for failing to make Wear OS as good as it could be after showing promise in the beginning. But many reviewers would place a larger section of the blame on Qualcomm. All Wear OS smartwatches are powered by special low-power Qualcomm SoCs. The problem is that Qualcomm had been reluctant to innovate in the smartwatch SoC front. The release of the Snapdragon 3100 in 2018 was only a mild increment over the Snapdragon 2100 in 2016. The Snapdragon 3100 still featured relatively historical ARM Cortex-A7 cores manufactured on a relatively historical 28nm process, at a time when Apple’s smartwatch SoCs and Samsung’s low-power Exynos SoCs moved to much more efficient 14nm and then 10nm processes. Apple and Samsung are the two major players in the smartwatch market, and both of them use custom operating systems in the form of watchOS and Tizen respectively. Wear OS has been a second class citizen for too many years now, and user interest in new Wear OS smartwatches is lackluster, to say the least, but it still provides one of the better options that are compatible with Android smartphones.

Qualcomm, though, hasn’t given up on the smartwatch market yet.

Nearly two years after announcing the Snapdragon Wear 3100, the company has launched its successor in the form of the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ (yes, this is the chip we first thought was to be the Snapdragon Wear 3300). It’s the first Qualcomm smartwatch SoC to be made on a modern process node: 12nm FinFET. It’s also the first Qualcomm smartwatch SoC to adopt ARM Cortex-A53 cores, finally moving on from the 32-bit Cortex-A7.

The Snapdragon Wear 4100 platforms are said to bring super-fast performance and connectivity, a smarter co-processor, and an ultra-lower power platform. The substantial improvements in platform power have been achieved by moving to a 12nm process. This isn’t cutting-edge as Samsung’s Exynos 9110 is produced on a more efficient 10nm process, but it should still provide enormous improvements over the 28nm process that powers the Snapdragon Wear 3100.

Qualcomm notes that the wearable industry has seen strong growth over the last few years (even as Wear OS loses steam). According to IDC, the industry is expected to continue to grow at an accelerated pace. The growth has given rise to segments within the industry as we can now find a range of wearables for adults, children, and seniors, along with targeted applications for sports, health, communication, and fashion. Consumers’ importance of public health and well-being will drive accelerated growth in H2 2020 and beyond, according to the company.

The wearables segment requires a flexible architecture that delivers great experiences while also having extended battery life. Qualcomm believes the hybrid architecture with an A-Class SoC and an M-Class co-processor is best suited to help meet those requirements. To that end, the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ is a high-performance CPU with improved CPU, GPU, memory, cellular modem, and camera sub-systems in the 12nm low processor process, along with dual dedicated DSPs for modem, location and sensors, as well as audio.

The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ has an AON ultra-low power co-processor that offloads a series of use cases including display, sensor, maps, and time from the main CPU. It also features a stronger AON software interface to manage the interactions between the SoC and the co-processor.

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 4100+ makes an effort to distinguish itself from its middling predecessors. The company says the SoC’s architecture is engineered to deliver significant improvements in performance, connectivity, smartness, and power compared to its previous platforms. The smartwatch SoC is based on Qualcomm’s mobile Snapdragon 429 SoC. The key highlights of both platforms include the following:

Fast performance and connectivity. The SoC has quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores. The Cortex-A53 was launched as the successor of the Cortex-A7 back in October 2012 – it’s seven years old now. In the smartphone SoC space, it was succeeded by the ARM Cortex-A55 in May 2017. The Cortex-A53 is still an in-order core, but importantly, it’s a 64-bit core (AArch64). Thus, the next-generation Wear OS smartwatches will be the first to have a 64-bit CPU architecture. The Cortex-A53 also features decent IPC improvements over the Cortex-A7, so CPU performance will be faster. The cores are clocked at up to 1.7GHz. Overall, Qualcomm says the SoC delivers 85% performance improvements over its predecessor.

The Cortex-A53 cores are paired with the Adreno 504 GPU, succeeding the Adreno 304 GPU in the Snapdragon Wear 3100. Qualcomm says this brings 2.5x improvements in GPU performance, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering how old and weak the Adreno 304 was. The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ features faster LPDDR3 memory (750MHz) and dual ISPs with support for up to 16MP cameras, although the last specification is redundant.

The new IP enhances the Snapdragon Wear 4100’s overall user experience with faster app launches, concurrent use cases, smoother and more responsive UX, and richer photo and video experiences, according to Qualcomm.

Connectivity. Qualcomm says the 4G LTE mode of the SoC, based on 12nm technology, has been significantly improved compared to its predecessor, and it has a dedicated DSP, low power features such as eDRX, platform-level power management, support for Cat 4/3/1 and single/dual antennas.

Smarter Always-On (AON) Co-Processor. The enhanced AON co-processor supports better offloaded experiences. Qualcomm has partitioned memory and performance to enable up to 64K colors and has extended offload experiences to include continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep for health and fitness, faster tilt-to-wake responsiveness, step counting, alarms, timers, and haptics for a more capable traditional watch mode.

Ultra-low power platform. The low power optimizations include 12nm process technology, dual DSPs for optimal workload partitioning, support for dynamic clock and voltage scaling (DVFS), Qualcomm Sensor Assisted Positioning PDR Wearables 2.0, low power location tracking support, and an enhanced Bluetooth 5.0 architecture. Combined, these improvements are designed to deliver more than 25% power reductions across key use cases – bringing bring extended battery life to the platform compared to its predecessors.

“Richer, enhanced experiences.” The hybrid platform in the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ is said to bring rich, enhanced experiences across interactive, ambient, sports, and watch modes. Qualcomm details this by explaining that in interactive mode, the platform supports additional “immersive experiences” with camera, voice assistant, and voice/video messaging. In ambient mode, the increase in number of colors from 16 to 64K and number kerning is designed to improve readability and offer more exciting design options as well. In sports mode, offloaded maps enhance the on-the-go experience. Finally, the traditional watch mode includes features such as heart rate, steps, alarms, reminders, and battery indicator with a “minimal impact” on performance or battery life.

Qualcomm says the first Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform-based products will ship later this year. A few companies have announced smartwatches based on the Snapdragon Wear 4100 in concurrence with Qualcomm’s enhancement. This includes imoo’s next-generation Z6 Ultra smartwatch based on the Snapdragon Wear 4100. imoo is a leading brand for kid smartwatches, and the Z6 Ultra is expected to start shipping over the next month. It will be the first smartwatch to use Qualcomm’s new platform.

Mobvoi is also announcing its next-generation TicWatch Pro smartwatches based on the Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform. The company says it’s the first brand to announce its next watch based on the Snapdragon 4100 and Wear OS.

The Snapdragon 4100 platforms come in two variants. The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ includes the main SoC (SDM429w or SDA429w) and the AON Co-Processor (QCC1110), along with the companion chips including PMIC, RF for modem/GPS and Wi-Fi/BT, and RFFE (radio frequency front-end). The Snapdragon Wear 4100, on the other hand, consists of the main SoC along with the companion chips, which means it lacks the AON co-processor.

The Snapdragon Wear 4100 platforms support both AOSP and Wear OS by Google. They are available and shipping now to consumers. For more information about them, readers can head to Qualcomm’s website.

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Android’s AirDrop-like Nearby Share feature is rolling out in beta

Google has been working on a sharing feature similar to Apple’s AirDrop for a while now. Originally discovered over a year ago as “Fast Share,” it was eventually renamed to “Nearby Sharing” and finally just “Nearby Share.” The feature is getting very close to a public release as Google has confirmed it’s rolling out through Play Services beta.

So what exactly is Nearby Share? Basically, think of it as a sharing mechanism for nearly all Android devices. The magic of Apple’s AirDrop is it’s present on all Apple products, from iPhone to iPad to Mac. Apple users can easily share things with each other without any setup or thought. Nearby Share would work in the same way since it’s available through Play Services, which the overwhelming majority of Android phones have. There’s also evidence to believe it will work through the Chrome browser.

To get Nearby Share up and running, you’ll need to sign up to be a beta tester for Google Play Services. You can do that by simply visiting the Play Store listing and opting into the beta. After that, you’ll need to wait for a bit until an update appears. Once you have the beta installed, you should see “Nearby Share” in the share sheet when sharing from apps.

Nearby Share will show up differently depending on what you’re sharing. You will always see “Nearby Share” in the list of available apps to share with, but sometimes there will be a shortcut at the top of the sheet next to the “Copy” button. The first time you select Nearby Share you will be asked to turn it on.

Once you have it all set up, Nearby Share will look for other devices nearby that have it enabled as well. You can share files such as photos and videos, links, and other stuff as well. When a device nearby wants to share with you, a notification will appear and you can tap it to make your device visible. Both parties need to confirm before the sharing occurs. The Nearby Share settings allow you to adjust who can see your device and how things are shared (data, Wi-Fi only, without internet).

As mentioned, Nearby Share is currently rolling out via Google Play Services beta. On the three devices I tested, I was able to get it set up on one, so it’s not immediately available to everyone. If you do get it, you should see it in the share sheet immediately after installing the beta. It’s still early, but Nearby Share is shaping up to be a great feature.

Google Play services (Free, Google Play) →


Via: Android Police

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Google Play Services prepares to show earthquake alerts in California powered by ShakeAlert

With the Third Pixel Feature Drop at the beginning of June, Google added a bunch of new features to Android 10 on Pixel devices. Among these, Google added some improvements to the Personal Safety app by extending the Crash Detection feature from Pixel 4/4XL to Pixel 3 series and adding two new features – “Safety Check” to keep emergency contacts updated about your whereabouts if you don’t respond to scheduled check-ins and “Crisis Alerts” to inform you of natural disasters in your area.

Although Crisis Alerts are not for any specific type of natural calamity, Google is preparing to add an alert mechanism specifically for earthquakes. We spotted references in the Google Play Services 20.26.12 beta that the company added for earthquake alerts specifically in California. These alerts are powered by ShakeAlert, a service that provides early warnings about earthquakes specifically for the West Coast.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by Google in a future build.

In an APK teardown of the Google Play Services 20.26.12 beta, we found the following strings hinting towards the features and its applications:

<string name="about">About</string>
<string name="about_details">Earthquake alerts and info are provided by Google &amp; ShakeAlert®.</string>
<string name="about_details_link">Learn more or change settings</string>
<string name="demo_take_action_title">Earthquake Demo</string>
<string name="distance_to_epicenter_km">%.1f km away</string>
<string name="distance_to_epicenter_mile">%.1f miles away</string>
<string name="google_setting_eew_nearby_notification">Earthquake Nearby Notification</string>
<string name="google_setting_eew_occurred_notification">Earthquake Occurred Notification</string>
<string name="google_setting_take_action">Take action alert</string>
<string name="google_setting_take_action_delay">Take action alert after 3 minutes</string>
<string name="local_map_source">Source: ShakeAlert®</string>
<string name="quake_notification_high_importance_channel_name">Earthquake Early Warning Alert</string>
<string name="quake_notification_low_importance_channel_name">Earthquake Early Warning Updates</string>
<string name="ealert_activity_debug_google_setting_title">EEW System Debug</string>
<string name="ealert_latest_update_search_word">earthquake near me</string>
<string name="ealert_local_map_magnitude">Est. mag %.1f earthquake</string>
<string name="ealert_more_safety_tips">More safety tips</string>
<string name="ealert_nearby_notification_text" formatted="false">Expect shaking. Estimated magnitude %.1f about %s away.</string>
<string name="ealert_notification_nearby">Earthquake nearby</string>
<string name="ealert_notification_occurred">Earthquake occurred nearby</string>
<string name="ealert_notification_sender">Google - ShakeAlert®</string>
<string name="ealert_occurred_notification_text" formatted="false">Estimated magnitude %.1f about %s away. Tap to learn more.</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_demo">See a demo</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_info_label">Earthquake safety info</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_1">Identify hazards and secure movable items</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_10">If you live in a coastal area, relocate as soon as shaking stops to avoid tsunamis</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_11">" "<li>"Don't touch downed or damaged utility lines"</li>"
"<li>"Don't use a damaged chimney. Approach downed or damaged chimneys with caution"</li>" "</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_12">You may receive an alert if an aftershock is expected</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_2">Create a disaster plan and decide how you will communicate in an emergency</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_3">Put supplies in convenient locations</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_4">Organize important documents, fix any structural issues on your property, and consider insurance</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_5">During an earthquake, take cover under a table and hold on</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_6">Evacuate if you smell gas or see building damage, help the injured, and stay away from anything that may fall</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_7">Reach out to others, take pictures of any damage, and contact your insurance</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_8">If water is shut off, use emergency supplies like a water heater or melted ice cubes</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_content_9">" "<li>"Put out small fires. If you can't, evacuate."</li>"
"<li>Check electric, water lines, and appliances for damage. If you see a broken line, shut off the main valve.</li>"
"<li>Clean up spilled medicines, drugs, or other harmful materials</li>" "</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_page_subtitle">Source: Earthquake Country Alliance</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_page_title">Earthquake safety steps</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_1">1. Secure your space</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_10">Move to higher ground</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_11">Avoid fallen objects</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_12">Expect aftershocks</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_2">2. Make a plan</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_3">3. Organize disaster supplies</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_4">4. Minimize financial hardship</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_5">5. Drop, cover, and hold on</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_6">6. Act quickly and cautiously</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_7">7. Reconnect and restore</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_8">Get your emergency supplies</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tip_title_9">Use caution when cleaning up</string>
<string name="ealert_safety_tips_title">Learn earthquake safety tips</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_detected_text">"You'll get an alert with the estimated magnitude and distance from your location"</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_detected_title">When an earthquake is detected nearby</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_how_it_works_body_2_text">"Keep in mind:
"<li>Not all earthquakes can be detected</li>"
"<li>Magnitude and shaking intensity estimates may have errors</li>"
"<li>You may receive an alert before, during, or after shaking begins</li>"
"</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_how_it_works_body_text">Android uses your approximate location to send information about nearby earthquakes. Earthquakes are detected by ShakeAlert®.</string>
<string name="ealert_settings_how_it_works_title">How it works</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_content_1">Before going anywhere, even to the next room</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_content_2">"If you smell gas, turn off the gas main to the building. If you can't, evacuate."</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_content_3">Check for cracks and damage. Evacuate if it looks like the building may collapse.</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title">Stay safer after an earthquake</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title_1">Get shoes</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title_2">Check gas</string>
<string name="ealert_stay_safer_title_3">Avoid damaged buildings</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_cover">Cover</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_drop">Drop</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_hold">Hold</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_magnitude">Estimated magnitude %.1f</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_next_steps">Tap for next steps</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_source">Google alert powered by ShakeAlert®</string>
<string name="ealert_take_action_title">Earthquake</string>
<string name="eew_share_link">Share</string>
<string name="eew_update_link">See latest updates</string>

The earthquake warning feature should share details including your distance from the epicenter, share tips on how to keep you safe as well as action points to follow in case you need to evacuate the premises.

Personal Safety (Free, Google Play) →

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HUAWEI HMS Core Forum Recap [June]

HUAWEI Developers is a platform ecosystem that integrates various services and resources for developers to develop and promote their apps, which is committed to serving the vast number of mobile terminal developers. Relying on the advantages of terminal channels, global platform services, and industry chain resources, it aims at openness and innovation in development, testing, and promotion, monetization and other aspects, to help developers create a terminal-based all-scenario innovation experience in an all-round way and reach consumers through smart terminals so as to build an open and win-win innovation ecosystem. You can access the XDA Huawei Developers forum here. Interact with other HMS developers, find guides, and follow tutorials for beginners or more advanced developers. Best guides from June 2020:

HMS offers many kits to help developers build high-quality apps. Because of the availability of these kits, you can build your app quickly and at a very low cost.

Development Kits

It doesn’t stop at development. After you’ve built your app, these kits will help you grow your app userbase. Receive detailed analytics that will help you understand how people use your app.

Growth Kits

Make money off of your hard work. Use these kits to monetize your apps by implementing ads, in-app purchases, and digital wallets.

Monetization Kits

Visit the XDA Huawei Developers forum to become a part of the Huawei Developer community. XDA Huawei Developers forum

We thank Huawei for sponsoring this post. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.

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[Update: Confirmed] It sure sounds like the OnePlus 8 Lite/OnePlus Z will be called the OnePlus Nord instead

Update 1 (06/30/2020 @ 08:32 AM ET): OnePlus has confirmed that the next smartphone from the company is the OnePlus Nord. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on June 24, 2020, is preserved below.

OnePlus burst onto the smartphone scene by making affordable phones with impressive specifications. However, as time has gone on, OnePlus devices have begun to creep up in price. We’ve been hearing about the company’s return to affordable phones with the rumored OnePlus Z/OnePlus 8 Lite. Evidence is starting to pile up to suggest the phone will actually be called “Nord.”

The Nord name was teased earlier this month by leaker Max J on Twitter. That sounded a bit strange to us because “Nord” sounds more like a codename than a final product name. However, new evidence seems to back up the idea that Nord is the actual name.

Earlier this week, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau tweeted the OnePlus logo in a new cyan blue color with the hashtag #NewBeginnings. Then an image featuring the same cyan blue color and the phrase “New Beginnings” was shared by Nils Ahrensmeier on Twitter. And to pull the whole thing together, OnePlus inadvertently leaked (and later removed) the Nord logo in a photo of an invitation on Instagram.

As you can see, the back of the invitation features the same “NORD” logo and the cyan blue color from the previous images. The original Instagram post was from the company’s “onepluslitezthing” account and it included photos celebrating the development of the phone. We can’t read the other text on the invitation, but it seems to suggest something special for the “first 100” buyers.

“Nord” is certainly a strange name and it’s interesting that OnePlus isn’t using a more traditional “Lite” naming scheme. A recent survey suggested that the specs of the device could include a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 SoC, 5G support, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, and triple cameras. However, we’d suggest taking those specs with a grain of salt since we haven’t been able to independently confirm them.

There’s still a lot to learn about this “Nord” device. Will it be called the OnePlus Nord? Will it be called “Nord by OnePlus”? The device is expected to launch in India and Europe in July so we’ll soon find out.

Via: Android Authority


Update: OnePlus confirms the OnePlus Nord is the next mid-range device, to cost under $500

Through its Instagram page, OnePlus has confirmed that the next device from OnePlus is indeed the OnePlus Nord.

Further, the documentary posted on the Instagram page reveals a quick teaser image of the device, confirming its dual punch-hole selfie cameras.

From the above image, we can at least discern that the phone does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom, though it could have one at the top.

Further, in a press release, OnePlus has confirmed that the device will be available in Europe and India. A select number of users in North America will also get a chance to experience the new device through a “highly limited beta program” after its launch.

The documentary ends with the text, “Our journey continues, July 7th”.

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Spotify rolls out real-time lyrics in 26 markets, including India

Spotify is easily among the most popular music streaming services in the world. Its apps for different platforms are continuously updated with new features. Back in March, the Spotify app for Android received a new homescreen UI along with a universal Shuffle button and a rejigged Action row. In the following month, Spotify started receiving the Follow Feed whereas a social listing feature was added in May. Now, Spotify is adding real-time lyrics that will be available in 26 markets across the globe.

Real-time lyrics on Spotify are powered by Musixmatch, a music player that automatically downloads lyrics for offline store music and displays them in real-time in the player UI as well as the lockscreen. Last year, the Swedish music streamer started testing the live lyrics feature in Canada, Indonesia, and Mexico.

Unlike Musixmatch, the real-time lyrics on Spotify can be spotted by scrolling down on the player UI – i.e. the same place where you usually find Behind the Lyrics or Storyline snippets which are powered by Genius. The feature also supports multiple languages and will display lyrics in the same language as the song.

Spotify has confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature goes live for the 26 markets starting 10 AM EST on June 30th. The list of markets where real-time lyrics will be available on Spotify includes Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay, and Vietnam. Interestingly, Canada has been left out from the release despite it being part of the beta testing group. Meanwhile, Spotify relies on another service provider to already offer lyrics in Japan.

Although competitor streaming service Apple Music got real-time lyrics last year with iOS 13, TechCrunch notes Spotify due to legal complexities related to the redistribution of lyrics. Lyrics are usually either sourced directly from the artist or transcribed by fans but the license to redistribute them is provided by the music label.

Spotify notes its global partnership with Musixmatch will offer the world’s largest repository of lyrics and translations to its users.

Spotify: Listen to new music, podcasts, and songs (Free, Google Play) →

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