Articles by Derrek Lee

Qualcomm is struggling to meet the demand for the Snapdragon 888.

What you need to know

Qualcomm is reportedly unable to meet the demand for its chips due to the global shortage.
Samsung’s mid-range smartphones are reportedly affected by the shortage.
The Snapdragon 888 may also be experiencing a shortage, affecting flagship phones like the Galaxy S21.

One of the main reasons why it’s so hard to get hold of a Playstation 5 is the global ship shortage affecting chipmakers like AMD. It’s affected multiple industries, from automobiles to gaming consoles, and now smartphones may start to feel the weight of the shortage. According to a report from Reuters, Qualcomm is feeling the weight of the shortage, and demand for chips like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 is exceeding the chipmaker’s ability to supply them for phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21.

Sources close to Samsung told Reuters that Qualcomm is particularly having trouble supplying chips to some of the best cheap Android phone…

The OnePlus Watch is finally coming.

What you need to know

OnePlus took to Twitter to tease the launch of its highly anticipated OnePlus Watch.
The company has been fairly vocal about its plans to launch wearables this year.
The OnePlus Watch is likely to launch alongside the OnePlus 9 smartphones later this month.

The OnePlus Watch is coming. Thanks to a less than subtle tweet from OnePlus, fans can likely expect a launch relatively soon. The tweet cycles through several images, which are undoubtedly different angles and parts of the watch, such as the case and band. None of the images provide a good glimpse at the watch, but we can probably expect a round watch face from the look of it. This would coincide with leaked design sketches of a OnePlus Watch, which showed two round models with different watch bands.

You asked for it. You’re getting it.— OnePlus (@oneplus) March 12, 2021

Also unknown is whether this watch will feature Wear OS, but it’s very likely considering O…

This could actually be a big deal for Wear OS.

What you need to know

Third-party developer support is opening up for Tiles on Wear OS.
Google’s Jetpack Tiles library is currently in alpha, enabling support for custom Tiles.
Tiles was released on Wear OS in 2019 but only supported apps from Google and smartwatch OEMs.

App support for Wear OS has not been the best, but Google is taking steps to improve Wear OS’s overall functionality in an attempt to lure developers back to the platform. In 2019 it introduced Tiles to the platform, giving owners of the best Wear OS watches quick access to glanceable app information such as weather or workout progress. Unfortunately, the feature was limited to first-party applications from Google or smartwatch OEMs, but after some changes were spotted last month that might address this limitation, custom Tiles are finally supported.

Google has announced that its Jetpack library for Tiles is now in alpha, meaning developers can now build custom T…

The feature has already been available on the web.

What you need to know

A developer managed to activate the timelapse feature on the Google Earth app.
The feature has already been available on the web version of Google Earth.
Users interested in activating the feature will need to root their smartphones.

Google Earth launched a neat timelapse feature in 2016 that allows viewers to peer into the past using collected satellite imagery. Using more than 5 million images, Google Earth shifts from the past to the present, providing a unique look at our planet from as far back as 1984. When it launched, the feature was made available on the web and mobile browsers. The mobile app, which is available even on the best cheap Android phones like the Moto G Power, did not get the same love the feature has not officially rolled out. Still, a developer reportedly managed to get it working.

A developer by the name of Kyler brought his effort to the attention of Android Police. Apparently, th…

Dish is putting all its pieces into place for a 5G rollout this year.

What you need to know

Dish announced this week that it’s acquiring Republic Wireless for an undisclosed amount.
The Relay division of Republic Wireless will continue to operate independently as a 5G customer.
Dish Wireless is planning to launch its 5G network later this year.

Dish has been on a spending spree lately as it works to build up its street cred as a mobile network. After the company snatched up Boost Mobile as a prerequisite to T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint, Dish went ahead and purchased Ting Mobile in a deal that will help with the management of its wireless expansion. This time around, Dish has announced this week that it’s acquiring Republic Wireless.

As we continue to grow our retail wireless business, Republic broadens our existing customer base and positions us to deliver even more value to the market, expanding our portfolio of mobile solutions to meet a variety of customer needs. We look…

LG hasn’t gotten any better with updates.

What you need to know

LG has posted an update schedule for its smartphones on its German website.
The schedule suggests only two smartphones being updated to Android 11 in Q2.
The LG Wing isn’t expected to receive Android 11 until Q4 of this year.

When it comes to updates, LG is known for being notoriously slow. It seemed like things might’ve finally turned around for the company when Android 10 was released, but alas, LG is back to its old ways. An Android 11 update schedule was spotted on the company’s German website, and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for owners of LG’s smartphones.

According to the schedule, the only two smartphones expected to receive Android 11 in Q2 are the LG Velvet and the LG G8X from 2019. Considering most of the best Samsung phones have already received the update, that’s quite an unfortunate outlook for LG fans. Moreover, the 4G version of the LG Velvet won’t receive the update until Q3 this year, along w…

The entry-level OnePlus 9 device remains elusive.

What you need to know

New leaked renders of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro show off the devices’ designs and colors.
The Hasselblad branding appears on both camera humps, suggesting a boost in image quality for both devices.
The OnePlus 9R, which is expected to launch alongside these devices, has remained largely unseen.

The official teasers of the OnePlus 9 series have officially kicked off thanks to the announcement of the Hasselblad partnership. While OnePlus gears up for the official device launch later this month, device leaks start to ramp up as we get closer to the reveal date. OnePlus may have given fans a glimpse of the 9 Pro, but newly leaked renders provide a full look at the OnePlus 9 smartphones and their colors.

The images of the OnePlus 9 reveal three different colors, including violet, blue, and one with a glossy black finish. On the front is a flat display with a hole-punch, while the back shows off the triple…

Google Meet lets you see more people at once on your smartphone.

What you need to know

A new tile view is rolling out for the mobile version of Google Meet.
The new layout will allow users to fit more people into view on a video call.
iOS users are getting the updated layout first, followed by Android “soon.”

Earlier this month, Google announced some changes it was making to its workspace apps to improve work-from-home productivity. One of those updates was for Google Meet, with new features like a native second screen experience to better navigate video conferences with multiple devices like the best smart displays. Another update that was introduced was a new layout for mobile devices that should make larger video chats better.

Have a bigger impact on a smaller screen with #GoogleMeet tile view on your mobile device, rolling out now on iOS and coming soon to Android! ? → https://t.co/OLAvcuDmYy pic.twitter.com/ZHjzQ8tedH— Google Workspace (@GoogleWorkspace) March 10, 2…

Google and Facebook aren’t off the hook just yet.

What you need to know

A bill introduced in the U.S. aims to give newspapers more negotiating power with Big Tech.
The lawsuit comes just after Google and Facebook strike deals with foreign media entities on appropriate financial support for news content.
The legislation has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

The battle over fair compensation for content is not over for Google and Facebook. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar re-introduced the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which aims to give news companies a fighting chance for negotiating appropriate compensation for content with tech giants like Google and Facebook.

This bipartisan legislation will improve the quality of reporting and ensure that journalists are able to continue their critical work. Our media outlets need a fighting chance when negotiating for fair treatment by the digital platforms where so many American…

The Google Pixel 6 is finally getting a new design.

What you need to know

An update to the Google Camera app suggests changes being made to the Pixel 6.
The Pixel 6 may move the selfie camera to the center while upgrading its video capabilities.
The Pixel 5a may have a smaller camera hole than its predecessor.

The Google Pixel 5a is expected to be the first smartphone launch of 2021 from the tech giant, and leaked renders of the device suggest it could arrive sooner than expected, at least relative to last year’s models. While the renders are by no means official, there’s a good chance that they’re pretty accurate, and the Pixel 5a will look nearly identical to its predecessors, down to the hole-punch selfie camera. But new leaks suggest that the Google Pixel 6 may finally break away from this design.

According to 9to5Google, a recent update to the Google Camera app may provide an idea of what to expect from the selfie cameras from both of Google’s upcoming smartphones. For ins…