Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes the leaked Galaxy Note 10 design, weaker batteries in Samsung’s phablet, OnePlus priming the story pump, more Nokia handsets for America, Huawei beats Apple in market share, Google Pixel 3a leaks, and reviewing the popular wireless earbuds.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
New Galaxy Note 10 Design Leaks
For many, the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 is a simple bit of polish on the S10 family. Perhaps in previous years, but not in 2019. Samsung is changing the design ethos and the go to word for the phablet looks to be ‘symmetry’. Forbes’ Gordon Kelly reports:
In a pair of teasing tweets, [a popular Samsung insider] has revealed the Galaxy Note 10 will be perfectly symmetrical. In the first, he notes Da Vinci [the Galaxy Note 10’s codename] “is symmetrical” and in the second he posts Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, the iconic image of perfect proportions. And this has significant design consequences.The Galaxy S10 range is most recognisable for its asymmetric punch-hole design. Consequently, it looks like Samsung is either centring it or removing it altogether in the Note 10 thanks to the company’s upcoming New Infinity display. Either would be a smart move as it gives the Note range (which is bigger than ever this year) a clear visual differentiator.
But The Note 10 May Be Slow In One Area
It was probably inevitable that a phone that promised so much – as the Galaxy Note 10 has – would have to compromise somewhere, and the latest leaks suggest one area where performance will be ratcheted back… charging the battery. Gordon Kelly has the details:
…It comes courtesy of acclaimed Samsung insider Ice Universe, who has revealed the handset may no longer get its much anticipated faster charging.“I take it back, but I can’t say more” explained the tipster, who said his previous claim that the Galaxy Note 10 will have all-new 25W fast charging had sent out “the wrong message”. This would be a significant blow because battery life for the Galaxy Note range has fallen significantly from the gold standard it once set, and Samsung’s 18W charging speeds are already way behind rivals.
OnePlus Primes The Story Engine
Although the launch and reveal of the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro handsets is still over a week away, OnePlus has been hard at work setting up the story lines that will no doubt drive the discussions around the new smartphones. Take the origami based invitation to the May 14 launch event:
It’s an origami construction that allows two information cards to pop out of the central housing. Given the expectation of a pop-up selfie camera to feature on the OnePlus 7 Pro this prepares the ground – lets call it Chekhov’s Invitation – for the audience to ‘go wild’ when it slides up in the presentation.
The OnePlus 7 Pro screen has been tested by the widely respect team at DisplayMate, and while the full results will be published as the device is launched, its “exceptional” scores in color gamut and temperature calibration, as well as better filtering of blue light to protect eyes during a prolonged use.
Historically OnePlus handsets have been designed to offer flagship performance at more affordable prices, but with the OnePlus 7 Pro expected to cost significantly more than previous models, it remains to be seen whether these camera improvements will be enough.As quoted in the report, [Wired’s] Simon Liu doesn’t seem certain:“I think we have a shot at competing with the first tier phones,” he says. “I don’t think we can beat them, but the imaging world is always subjective.”
If the narrative is driven by leaks, then OnePlus is again doing its best to stay ahead of the geekerati.
More Nokia For America
HMD Global keeps the refresh rate high on its handsets, but is breaking new ground where it can. The Nokia 4.2 is a good example both of a refresh to handset, but also exploring new territories. It was announced this week that the AndroidOne powered handset will launch in the US for $189. Joe Maring reports:
From a design point of view, the 4.2 looks like a lot of other Nokia phones we’ve seen over the last year. It has a 5.71-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 19:9 and a very tiny waterdrop notch which houses an 8MP selfie camera.
The frame of the phone is made out of polycarbonate, whereas the back features 2.5D glass. This is also where you’ll find the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and 13MP + 2MP dual rear cameras.
Post from: Forbes
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