Articles by Babu Mohan

Like the Xperia 1 II, the Xperia 5 II is 4G-only in the U.S.

What you need to know

Pre-orders for the Sony Xperia 5 II are now live in the U.S.
Pre-order perks include vouchers for the HyperX Cloud II Gaming headset, a 10,000mAh power bank, and 21,600 Call of Duty: Mobile CP points.
The phone will begin shipping in the U.S. on December 4.

Sony’s Xperia 5 II, which was unveiled last month, is now available to pre-order in the U.S. While Sony isn’t bundling a pair of its WF-1000XM3 true wireless earbuds with the phone stateside, it is offering a gaming bundle that includes the HyperX Cloud II gaming headset.

Along with a voucher for the HyperX Cloud II gaming headset, you will also receive a voucher for a 10,000mAh power bank with a USB-C port and 21,600 Call of Duty Mobile points. The Xperia 5 II gaming bundle, which is priced at $950, will begin shipping on December 4. In addition to the official Sony website, you can now pre-order the flagship phone from Amazon and B&H as …

The Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative has been launched to manage security issues that are unique to specific device manufacturers.

What you need to know

Google has introduced the Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative.
The new program has been designed to provide transparency to users regarding security issues affecting devices from Android partners.
A few major security vulnerabilities affecting devices from some OEMs have already been discovered thanks to the new program.

Google today rolled out a new program that has been designed specifically to manage security issues specific to Android OEMs. The new Android Partner Vulnerability Initiative aims will make the best Android phones even more secure by remedying issues that affect device models made by OEMs.

Google has various programs that allow security researchers to report any security vulnerabilities. While vulnerabilities in Android code can be reported via the Android Security Rewards Program (ASR), issues i…

The update is currently rolling out only in India.

What you need to know

The OnePlus Nord has started receiving a new stable OxygenOS update.
It comes with the September 2020 Android security patch and improved display calibration.
OnePlus claims to have optimized network stability and image stabilization performance too.

OnePlus rolled out the OxygenOS 10.5.7 update to the Nord last month, with more display and camera improvements. The company has now started pushing a new stable OxygenOS update to the OnePlus Nord with the September Android security patch and a few minor tweaks.

The biggest highlight of the latest OxygenOS 10.5.8 update for the Nord is definitely the September security patch. Until now, the OnePlus Nord was stuck on the July 2020 Android security patch. Aside from the security improvements, OnePlus has worked on further improving display calibration with this update and has also optimized the camera image stabilization performance. Network stability and overa…

You will be able to watch the OnePlus 8T launch event on October 14 with your friends inside the virtual world.

What you need to know

OnePlus has introduced a new virtual world for its fans.
The OnePlus World lets fans explore the company’s products in the virtual museum, play games, and win a new OnePlus 8T.
OnePlus is set to launch the 8T at a virtual event on October 14.

OnePlus will be unveiling its next flagship smartphone at a virtual event on October 14. Ahead of the event, OnePlus has launched a new virtual platform called OnePlus World, allowing its fans to play various games to earn points, explore photos shot on OnePlus phones, design their own cases, and explore a virtual museum showcasing all of its popular products and technologies.

You can explore the “infinite possibilities” of the OnePlus World with an avatar that you can customize yourself. You can also collect points and compete with friends to get to the daily top 100 list. OnePlus says the grand finale top…

Google’s new Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 phones won’t be launched in India.

What you need to know

The Pixel 4a will finally be available to purchase in India starting October 17.
It will be sold in the country via Walmart-owned e-commerce giant Flipkart.
The price for the Indian market, however, hasn’t been revealed yet.

Google’s budget-friendly Pixel 4a, which was launched in August, will finally go on sale in India later this month. Replying to a query from a fan on Twitter, Google has revealed that one of its best Android phones yet will be available in India from October 17.

Hi Roger, we appreciate your interest in our Pixel devices. The Pixel 4a launches in India on October 17th and will be available for purchase on Flipkart. To learn more about the Pixel 4a check out the official blog post here: https://t.co/EOgWtQ7NMg Appreciate it.— Made By Google (@madebygoogle) October 1, 2020

As confirmed by Google in August, the Pixel 4a will be sold in India exclusively via Flip…

Samsung claims the Galaxy Tab Active 3 is its most durable Android tablet yet.

What you need to know

Samsung has announced a new rugged Android tablet.
The new Galaxy Tab Active 3 features MIL-STD-810H certification, which means it can be used even in the most extreme environments.
It comes with an 8-inch display, Samsung’s Exynos 9810 chipset, S Pen support, and 4G LTE connectivity.

Samsung quietly announced the latest addition to its lineup of rugged Android tablets today. The new Galaxy Tab Active 3 is based on the Galaxy Tab Active 2’s design, but comes with updated internals and improved durability.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 3 sports an 8-inch PLS LCD display with 1920 x 1200 WUXGA resolution. Powering the device is an 8nm Exynos 9810 chipset, which is coupled with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. It has a single 13MP camera on the back, while on the front is a 5MP camera for video calls and selfies. Keeping the lights on is a user-replaceable 5050mAh batter…

All your OTPs will be automatically deleted by Google Messages after 24 hours.

What you need to know

Google Messages may soon help clean up your inbox by automatically deleting OTPs.
The feature will probably begin rolling out to users sometime later this year.
Once enabled, Messages will detect and automatically delete OTPs after 24 hours.

One time passwords (OTPs) are the most common authentication method for online transactions. They are used to keep our online accounts safe too, which is why our inboxes are usually filled with OTPs. To help users get rid of this problem, Google is testing a new feature for its Messages app.

An APK teardown of Google Messages v6.7.067 by the folks at XDA Developers has revealed that the app could soon gain a new feature that will allow it to find and automatically delete one-time-passwords (OTPs) from your phone’s inbox 24 hours after they are received.

However, the strings suggest the feature be offered as an option to users. So, if for s…

The ban on new downloads was set to come into effect at 11:59 PM on Sunday.

What you need to know

A federal judge in Washington has granted a preliminary injunction to TikTok, temporarily blocking President Trump’s ban on the video-sharing app.
Had the injunction not been granted, TikTok would have been removed from Apple and Google’s app stores Sunday night.
However, the restrictions announced by the Commerce Department, which are set to go into effect on November 12, have not been blocked.

In what can be described as a big setback for the Trump administration, a federal judge in Washington has granted a preliminary injunction to TikTok, blocking the app’s ban from Apple and Google’s app stores in the U.S (via The Verge). However, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols hasn’t blocked the restrictions on the app by the Commerce Department, which will go into effect on November 12.

President Donald Trump declared TikTok a “national emergency” on August 6 and said that the app would …

Nokia 7.3 could be the first phone from HMD Global with a Snapdragon 690 chipset.

What you need to know

The first CAD-based renders of the Nokia 7.3 have surfaced.
The renders reveal a hole-punch display and a quad-camera setup.
Nokia 7.3 is expected to have a plastic body with a 6.5-inch FHD+ display.

In March this year, HMD Global announced the Nokia 8.3, its first 5G-enabled smartphone. The company is soon expected to unveil a more affordable 5G smartphone, which is likely to succeed the Nokia 7.2. The first renders of the upcoming mid-ranger have now been posted by popular leaker @OnLeaks, in collaboration with IPEEWorld.

The CAD-based renders of the Nokia 7.3 reveal the phone will have a hole-punch cutout in the top-left corner of the display, similar to the Nokia 8.3. It will also have a similar circular camera module on the back, housing a total of four sensors. There is also a fingerprint sensor right below the camera module. The power and volume buttons are on the rig…

OnePlus says users in India will have to wait slightly longer to receive the new build.

What you need to know

OnePlus has released the second OxygenOS 11 Open Beta build for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.
The update brings a number of bug fixes and new Ambient display features.
OnePlus is likely to release the stable OxygenOS 11 update for the OnePlus 8 series next month.

OnePlus kicked off the Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 Open Beta program for its flagship OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro phones earlier this month. The company is now rolling out the second open beta build for two of its best Android phones ever, bringing numerous bug fixes, improvements, and some new features.

As per the official changelog, the OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 update adds a new Canvas feature, which can draw a wireframe picture of a lock screen photo saved on your phone. You can then view it without waking the screen. You can find the feature by heading over to Settings > Customization > Wallpaper > Canvas.

Al…